Sustain a Child

Coming from the Ambedkar Nagar slum in Mumbai, Ashok observed the children in his community forgoing education to earn money and getting caught up in drug and illegal activities. Ashok's unwavering belief in the transformative power of education inspired him to establish the OSCAR Foundation, even with limited resources. OSCAR initially started with a small group of children and one straightforward rule: no school on weekdays, and no football sessions on weekends. Ashok's distinctive approach garnered interest from various organizations focused on Sports for Development (S4D), including the FIFA Foundation, Common Goal, and Manchester City FC. His remarkable efforts have earned him several prestigious awards, such as the CNN-IBN Real Hero Award and the Apollo Tyres Go the Distance Hero Award. Ashok is also recognized as an Ashoka Youth Venture Fellow in 2008 and an Acumen Fellow in 2021. He has been a featured speaker at numerous international and national leadership forums, where he advocates for the cause of education.

Lucinda is an independent Marketing and PR consultant, with experience in a diverse range of industries. She has worked with the OSCAR foundation, both in India and the UK since 2015. Lucinda has initiated many of the key OSCAR International programs, including the UK School Tours, Child Sponsorship, and the International Young Leader program. Responsible for communications, fundraising, and delivery of UK initiatives, she spends 6 weeks a year in India working closely with the team, ensuring the UK programs are fit for purpose. Lucinda’s first UK school tour was made into a BAFTA-winning television documentary and she recently won the Asian Voice, Charity Clarity Outstanding PR Award 2019. Lucinda is passionate about education and equal opportunities.

Sunita is passionate about supporting the OSCAR children in her community. She is responsible for the Child Sponsorship Programme and was team manager for the #kicklikeagirl UK Tour 2018. Sunita uses her organisational skills to ensure all passports, visas, equipment and the travel itinerary is prepared for overseas tours.

Represented OSCAR as a Generation Amazing ambassador in Moscow.