We are going to #DanaCup2019

The OSCAR Foundation is a not for profit organisation, based in Mumbai, which uses football as the tool to engage young people in education. OSCAR works in slum communities across India, empowering underprivileged children and youth with life skills and guiding them to take responsibility for the development of their community. From an initial 14 boys, OSCAR now has over 3,000 children, 1600 are girls. Low income communities in India do not believe in educating girls, allowing them to wear shorts or play football. Illegally early marriage and youth pregnancy is common. OSCAR has one simple rule for all the girls and boys. 'No school, no football.' The OSCAR family is working hard to change the mindset of the community. Most of the OSCAR staff come from the community they serve.

This is the first time for the Dana Cup. The girls are very excited.

Five girls selected for the Dana Cup come from rural Jharkhand. They live very simple lives, there is no sanitation or running water, most of the girls will never have travelled or been in a train. To put this in perspective, one father does not understand how his daughter can fit in a tiny plane he has seen high up in the sky. This is an enormous adventure, the trip of a lifetime. Five girls come from the slums in Mumbai, they live in cramped houses with no running water, shower or toilet. None of the girls have educated parents, only two have a passport, some do not have a birth certificate. The goals and expectations for the Dana Cup are to travel, fulfil a dream, meet new friends, to demonstrate to their families and wider community that girls count and to return to India as role models and ambassadors for OSCAR and for change. They believe fiercely in gender equality and are confident the Dana Cup will give them the platform to speak out and be heard.

The OSCAR girls will support Global Goal 5 "Gender Equality". - Read more about the Global Goals here The #kicklikeagirl campaign is at the very core of OSCAR’s work.

OSCAR International works in partnership with OSCAR India. Keep up to date with all the latest news about the OSCAR Dana Cup girls on our social media sites.

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