Category: Uncategorised

By Sara Begg Over four busy (and brilliantly full) days in Mumbai, we worked with coaches from the OSCAR Foundation and The Right Pitch ( as part of Cricket Unites India, a joint project with the MCC Foundation and Cricket Without Boundaries.) and the generous support of the Barclays Group. The aim was simple, but […]

Dhanraj grew up in a small rural village in Karnataka, where opportunity was scarce and dreams rarely stretched beyond the horizon. As a little boy, he joined the OSCAR programme simply because he loved football but what he found was something far bigger. So, when Dhanraj was invited to be part of the OSCAR UK Tour […]

by Ashok Rathod When I take OSCAR visitors to the incredible Dhobi Ghat laundry, I always tell them that despite washing 500,000 items a day, they never lose a single sock. Well… that isn’t completely true. They did lose something once, my precious David Beckham football shirt. I was heartbroken and I immediately went searching for a replacement. That shirt has […]

by Izzy England – UK Volunteer There’s no better way to start a Saturday morning than with good food, great company and a steaming cup of chai! That’s exactly how the OSCAR Foundation’s recent ‘Girls’ Career Workshop’ began. Over breakfast, the girls chatted, laughed and bonded before diving into a day full of inspiration, learning […]

When I came back from the OSCAR Foundation University of Edinburgh Tour, people in my community shouted, “Here comes the UK boy!” My relatives told my mother, “No one from our family has gone abroad before. He is the first one.” At first I didn’t understand why it was so big, but then I saw, […]

Growing Up in Mumbai: Small Joys, Big Struggles I grew up in Mumbai, in a home filled with both happy and difficult moments. As a child, I loved playing outside with friends, feeling free and alive. But evenings were tough, my father’s anger made home a place of fear. In those moments, football became my escape. […]

My Life Journey by Rupesh Shridar Jadhav  I was born and raised in Cuffe Parade in Mumbai, in a small 10 x10 jhopdi (hut). Our home, built with just four bamboo sticks, stood beside the water. During high tide, water from the sea would rise and flow beneath our floor, reminding us every day of […]

Volunteering with the OSCAR Foundation in India is more than just a trip, it’s a journey with purpose. From the bustling streets of Mumbai to rural villages in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Daman, our volunteers become part of a vibrant community where they inspire and are inspired. You’ll form lifelong friendships, exchange knowledge, learn from different […]

Among the tin roof tops and narrow alleys of the Cuffe Parade community in Mumbai, Kumar was well known, for all the wrong reasons. With no one watching over him, Kumar roamed free. He darted across rooftops, cut down flying kites and picked pockets of unsuspecting passers-by. He was fearless and feared. Mothers told their children to stay away. Neighbours scolded his mother for the damage he did to their roof […]