Ms. Priya Naree Cooper, a nine-time gold medalist disabled swimmer and recipient of the Order of Australia Medal, visited the capital’s Karail slum area at January 29 to engage with the youths of BRAC’s Adolescent Development Programme. Ms. Cooper arrived in Bangladesh to attend this year’s Australia Day event and planned a visit to Karail in order to learn more about BRAC’s work through its Adolescent Clubs (Kishori Kendro) and Neuro-Developmental Disability Centres.
Having achieved success despite suffering from cerebral palsy, Ms. Cooper has been highly vocal about getting more people with disabilities involved in sports. She was appointed Deputy Chair of the Disability Services Commission for Western Australia in 2017. The visit was jointly organised by BRAC and Australia’s Department of Foreign Trade and Affairs (DFAT) in Bangladesh. Mohammad Mohasin, Founder of Wheelchair Cricket Welfare Association Bangladesh, Prafulla Chandra Barman, Programme Head of BRAC Education Programme, and Angela Naumann, First Secretary of DFAT Bangladesh, were present during Ms. Cooper’s visit.
“Witnessing these girls, who have been denied many privileges in life, embrace sports to make their dreams come true was very impressive. It fills me with joy to see that just like me, these young people are driven to achieve something big despite facing significant barriers. With proper guidance and support, they will be able to take charge of not only their future but also the future of Bangladesh,” Priya Cooper stated.
The Strategic Partnership Agreement was formed in 2010 between BRAC, the UK Government and the Australian Government based on the principles of supporting development goals for Bangladesh by being mutually accountable.
