Happiness thrives when courage leads the way - courage to take action, break barriers, and create opportunities for those who need them most. This talk focuses on the transformative power of providing underprivileged kids access to education and football, offering them hope and a chance to rewrite their future happiness. Ashok Rathod, founder of the OSCAR Foundation, empowers underprivileged children through football-based life skills programs. Growing up in Mumbai’s Ambedkar Nagar slum, he witnessed many children leave education for work, some falling into harmful activities. Motivated to make a change, Ashok founded OSCAR with a simple rule: attend school, and you can play football. Over the past decade, he has helped 25,000 children stay in school, teaching teamwork, leadership, and resilience through football. OSCAR has also trained 1,000 youth leaders and facilitated 140 international trips, opening doors for new opportunities. Ashok’s work has earned awards like the CNN-IBN Real Hero Award and fellowships with Ashoka Youth Venture and Acumen. Supported by global organizations such as FIFA Foundation and Manchester City FC, Ashok continues to inspire young people to break free from poverty and become community leaders. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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