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The two young leaders, both alumni of Street Child United (SCU), were presenting the 2026 Street Child World Cup United Declaration – a document built around football, and around the campaign message “I Am Someone”.
A party, not a pity party
Ms Richards grew up facing difficulties at home which took a toll on her mental health and, at times, found herself in risky situations.
Street Child United’s Samantha Richards addresses a UN meeting on football and mental health.
Football changed that direction. “Growing up, I experienced some difficulties at home,” he said. “But football gave me friendship, leadership skills and an outlet to speak out.”
Through SCU he met other footballers pursuing education and followed them – becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree. “Sports are a catalyst for mental health advocacy, and it’s okay to speak up when you’re having a hard time, like I did,” she said.
Ms. Travel Hifume to New York begins in the Philippines’ foster care system, where isolation breeds sadness and loneliness.
“In foster care, it’s very easy to think that you’re nothing more than a foster child,” she said. SCU gave him something else: a team to lead, a platform to speak on and, ultimately, a scholarship to study in the United States and a PhD offer from Oxford University. “Football gave me curiosity about other things outside of sports,” he said.
Twenty-eight teams, one declaration
The declaration itself was made far from the corridors of the UN, in Oaxtepec, Mexico, where 28 teams are competing in this year’s Street Children’s World Cup.
Delegates from each side drafted and supported the text at the tournament, dividing their demands into five priorities: legal identity, education, protection from violence, gender equality and a genuine voice in decisions that affect their lives.
SCU is part of UN Football for Goals Initiativewho uses sport to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Bringing the declaration to New York – which is also hosting the World Cup final – days after Ms. Richards spoke on a panel in the General Assembly Hall, giving the grassroots process rare access to the global stage.
The Street Child United organization created the Street Children’s World Cup. This event brings together children in vulnerable situations to practice sports in the same city or continent where the official World Cup takes place.
No longer visible
For Ms. Richards, that moment was the final twist. “Standing in the Hall of Flags and the General Assembly is not just about me,” he said. “It’s about every young person being made to feel invisible. Through football, I found my voice, and today we showed that our voices exist in these spaces.”
Ms. Hifume framed it as an argument for investment rather than abandonment. “This declaration aims to ensure every street child knows that they are important,” he said. “When we invest in kids, they become leaders.”
Both insisted that the real test begins now, after the applause in the Hall of Flags fades.
They want governments and institutions to treat the declaration’s five demands as a checklist, not a memento, and to continue listening to street children well beyond the tournament that produced it.
Richards, this declaration rests on a simple confession: “we are all somebody.”
Street Child United members visit UN Headquarters.
