Since 1999, Magic Bus, a non profit organisation, has used a unique Sport for Development programme to empower children and youth in making effective life choices in areas of gender equality, education, health and leadership & livelihood.
India has 22 per cent of the world's population but 46 per cent of the world's illiterates. Every sixth girl child's death in India is due to gender discrimination.7 out of 10 children on the Magic Bus Program will re-enroll and stay in school and 4 out of 10 children on the Magic Bus Program will be girls exercising their right to play and learn.
Magic Bus' mission is 'to empower children, youth and communities in areas of education, gender, health, leadership and livelihood through sport for development'. Empowerment means 'enhancing an individual's or group's capacity to make choices and transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes'.
Through the three degrees of empowerment i.e. 'knowledge of the presence of choice, use of the choice and the result/effectiveness of choice', Magic Bus truly empowers young poeple through Sport. By using the methods of sport and activity-based learning to achieve development goals, Magic Bus successfully creates opportunity structures for continued and sustainable development through partnership with Institutions, Government, Communities and Profit and Non Profit Organisations.
For the first 9 yrs Magic Bus was a Mumbai-based programme. The National outreach was launched in 2008 and by the end of 2012 we will be reaching out to 200,000 children and youth across India. By 2014 we aim to reach 1,000,000 children.
Magic Bus works with children and youth from vulnerable backgrounds such as urban slums, institutions and semi-urban as well as rural areas. Through engagement with parents and community members, they help build ownership and sustainability of the programme to make a wider and more sustainable difference.
A typical Magic Bus session held once a week, varies from 35-40 minutes to 2 hours where
25-30 children come together in an open space under the guidance of a mentor. Each community or institution is assured of 40 such sport-based learning sessions for the children per year.
Mentors in Magic Bus play a pivotal role. In addition to planning 'the developmental issue' to address based on the focus areas and feedback from community, the entire activiti session and review occurs under the mentors supervision. These mentors also become role models for the children and youth.
25-30 children come together in an open space under the guidance of a mentor. Each community or institution is assured of 40 such sport-based learning sessions for the children per year.
Mentors in Magic Bus play a pivotal role. In addition to planning 'the developmental issue' to address based on the focus areas and feedback from community, the entire activiti session and review occurs under the mentors supervision. These mentors also become role models for the children and youth.
As key partner to the Australian Sports Outreach Programme (ASOP), Magic Bus Sports Mentors will participate in the Award Programme in Year 1 of the ASOP-Award India partnership. A brilliant example of how young Mentors, looked upon as role models in their community/institution of operation can be recognized for their efforts for social inclusive development.