Childrens Charity, India
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. I loved the game so much that I was ready to do anything just to play. One day, I asked a friend if he knew any football team. That’s when I first heard about the OSCAR Foundation, without knowing how deeply it would change my life.
My childhood was not easy. At 13 years old in 8th standard, I left school to support my family. I worked many jobs, delivering medicines, carpentry, shop work, sticking auto rickshaw stickers, labour with my father and fishing with my mother. I learned to work hard, but I also learned how quickly education can be lost.
When I joined OSCAR, I discovered something life-changing: to play football, I had to go to school. This simple rule gave me hope. I returned to studies and completed my 10th standard. My education was back on track and my journey in football was just beginning.
Step by step, I climbed through the MDFA divisions, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and finally 1st. I also trained as an OSCAR Young Leader, learning how to guide children and give back to the community. OSCAR gave me opportunities I never imagined, training with the Premier League in Kerala, leadership development in Delhi with a team from the Netherlands, and SOCH Foundation training.
The turning point of my life came in 2017, when I travelled to the UK with the Under-16 girls team. It was my first trip abroad, and it changed my perspective forever. I saw the world, met new people, and understood the true power of education through sport. That trip inspired me to complete my 12th and 15th from the Maharashtra Board.
Today, I am proud, not only of what I achieved in football, but of who I have become. I am a son who supports his family, a young leader who inspires children, and a person who refuses to give up on his dreams. My next goal is to complete my education and earn my AIFF C Licence in Football Coaching and completing a Masters in Education.
To every young boy and girl starting their journey with OSCAR, I say this:
Football will give you joy. But education will give you wings.
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