The OSCAR Foundation is a charity based in Mumbai using the power of football and life skills to transform the lives of girls and boys from underserved communities across India. OSCAR has an active network of Young Leaders, who are committed to mentoring the younger children in their community. In May 2025, the University of Edinburgh will host 8 OSCAR Young Leaders (+18yrs) and 2 staff members from Mumbai and rural India and provide an immersive educational, cultural and sports programme. The programme participants will include a wide range of Edinburgh students, schools and clubs, it will broaden perspectives on global issues and encourage youth of all ages and from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds to learn from each other, gain insights into global disparities and share life experiences. University of Edinburgh is committed to delivering a transformational experience and to grow the programme by taking a group of marginalised, excluded young people from Scotland to India in 2026. The tour will encourage Edinburgh graduates to volunteer in India and the OSCAR participants will provide insights, interviews and material for academic sports for development research projects.

Children living in poverty lack access to mentorship and opportunities. All too often OSCAR parents, having been denied an education, encourage their children to drop out of school and get a poorly paid job. Girls are particularly vulnerable, frequently pushed into an illegally early marriage and the inevitable youth pregnancy. Through its education, life skills and football programmes, the OSCAR Foundation greatly enhances their life chances. With its guiding principle, ‘No School, No Football’, OSCAR currently has 9,000 children enrolled, 15,000 impacted and trained over 1,000 Young Leaders. The University of Edinburgh & OSCAR Tour 2025 will inspire and motivate not only the participants but their families and wider community. UofE is dedicated to delivering an opportunity of a lifetime, break the cycle of poverty and transform lives both in Scotland and India.

OSCAR International is a UK based charity working closely with the OSCAR family in India