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By magicbusuk

Anjali’s Story

Anjali's Story - Finding Her Voice

Like many young people from marginalised communities across India, Anjali faced significant challenges escaping the trap of youth unemployment. Growing up in a semi-urban family of four, Anjali’s father was the sole earner, bringing home ₨10,000 a month (around £90) working as a security guard, just enough to scrape by. Her mother was a homeworker, and her older siblings were still in school. As the youngest in the family, Anjali was deeply affected by her family’s financial struggles and was determined to help. However, with no knowledge about the job market or job-hunting process, Anjali struggled to know where to start.

Anjali’s situation became increasingly difficult as she faced a growing number of rejections and even unethical demands from employers in her job search. Her parents, understandably worried for her, were hesitant to let her accept any job offers, fearing fraud and exploitation. Without help, Anjali faced becoming one of the tens of thousands of young people trapped in unemployment, but Magic Bus was there to offer a way forward.

Introduced to the Magic Bus Livelihood Programme through a door-to-door enrolment campaign, Anjali was excited about the opportunity, though she doubted the programme’s job placement support was as good as advertised. To ease her concerns, the Magic Bus team invited her to meet with graduates from the programme who had successfully secured employment. Hearing these success stories first hand proved reassuring, and Anjali enrolled in the Livelihood Programme, hoping it would finally be the chance she needed.

Initially, Anjali struggled with communication and was lacking in confidence. She was reserved, struggled with her nerves, and was burdened by self-doubt. But with the support and guidance of the Magic Bus team, Anjali persevered, gradually opening up and making small but meaningful strides in her personal growth. Her commitment to creatively completing assignments and encouraging her peers was proof of her determination to succeed. Over time, Anjali found her voice, gained confidence, and became an active contributor during the sessions. Anjali also learned a variety of practical skills including CV writing, interview technique, computing skills and spoken English skills.

Upon graduating from the programme, Anjali quickly secured a position as an Assistant Coordinator with the global financial services company Allianz. Such a tremendous accomplishment, having overcome so many obstacles on the way was a dream come true. Anjali soon returned to the Magic Bus Livelihood Centre to express her gratitude and to share her experiences with the latest group of participants.

Today, Anjali is proud to make a significant contribution to her family’s wellbeing, her salary ensuring that they have a sustainable income for the first time. Her family is overjoyed at her progress, and Anjali credits Magic Bus for transforming her life and career:

“The first step is the hardest to take, but once you do, everything becomes easier. I took that first step by joining the Magic Bus Livelihood Programme, and now I’m able to support not only myself, but my family as well.”

Anjali’s story has inspired many more young people in her community, demonstrating that with dedication and the right support, no challenge is too big to overcome and success is always in reach.

To help more young women like Anjali find their voice and leave poverty behind, donate to Magic Bus UK today.

Donate Today
News
By magicbusuk

An Expedition to the Himalayas in Support of Magic Bus

An Expedition to the Himalayas

We’re thrilled to share that Sanjiv Padmanabhan , Magic Bus UK’s new board member, is embarking on an incredible journey to Everest Base Camp and Kalapathar (5,550 meters above sea level) from 23rd Feb to 8th March – to raise funds for Magic Bus UK!

Sanjiv’s passion for creating opportunities for children, regardless of their background, aligns deeply with Magic Bus India Foundation’s mission to break the cycle of poverty and empower young lives. This inspiring expedition is not just a physical challenge but a commitment to helping children achieve their dreams.

Let’s cheer him on and support his fundraiser on JustGiving, today!

Support sanjiv, today

Thank you, Sanjiv!

News
By magicbusuk

From Aspiration to Action

The Government of India has set itself the ambitious goal of significantly increasing its GDP by the year 2047, the centenary anniversary of India’s independence. To achieve this bold task, India will need to harness it’s female workforce by more than doubling the percentage of women in work, from 145 million today to 400 million over the next 23 years.

This enormous leap forward will be a tremendous challenge, which is why Magic Bus has partnered with one of the world’s leading management consultants, Bain & Company, to produce a report that identifies the barriers that women face, both rural and urban, to finding employment, and how they can be overcome.

Increasing the rate of female participation in the workforce in India will bring about a massive shift in the country’s attitudes to gender.

Click Here to Download the Full Report

Over the coming months, we’re going to be sharing more updates about the report, including a major launch-event in London to celebrate its release. 

To stay up-to-date with news about how we’re working to increase female participation in India’s workforce, how you can attend next year’s launch event, and to stay engaged with Magic Bus UK’s work in general to help children and young people leave poverty behind, please fill out the marketing sign-up form below.

News
By Ross Marshall

Seema’s Story

Seema's Story - Back to School

Meet Seema, a 14-year-old adolescent enrolled in grade 8 in Kolkata.

In January 2024, the adolescent collective at Seema’s school informed Magic Bus of her continued absence from school. Upon learning about this, the team conducted a home visit where the parents were not interested in having any discussion. However, given the prior rapport, they eventually agreed to speak to our team and shared that Seema had been forced to run away by a local boy who had convinced her to marry him and leave her studies behind.

While Seema realised the repercussions of her decision and came back home within a few days, she refused to attend school given her reluctance to face her peers from the same community.

The Magic Bus team, along with community volunteers, counselled Seema and held a meeting with the adolescent collective to came up with ways to enable a safe transition back to school and avoid any unwarranted comments from fellow classmates. Seema, with the constant support of the team and the collective, has now started attending school regularly.

With further encouragement to speak up during Magic Bus sessions, Seema has gradually regained her confidence and even shared how this journey has enabled her to truly understand the importance of continuing with her education. She wishes to study further, and her parents have expressed deep gratitude to the Magic Bus team for enabling their daughter to regain her confidence and have another chance at continuing her education.

News
By Ross Marshall

Khushi’s Story

Khushi's Story - A Guiding Light

“In the midst of an early marriage, my dreams of a bright career seemed lost. But then, like a guiding light in the darkest tunnel, the Magic Bus Livelihood Programme illuminated my path to hope and opportunity,” exclaimed Khushi, her voice filled with gratitude and determination.

Growing up in India’s state of Bihar, Khushi witnessed the challenges faced by women in her community that were dependent on their husbands. She dreamt of supporting her family by finding a job and earning her own money. However, Khushi’s parents both came from a conservative background, and strongly believed that an early marriage and a husband were what would secure her future.

Khushi became one of millions of young women across India forced into an early marriage. But Khushi remained determined that she would not become another statistic.

Khushi’s opportunity came when she, her husband, and her mother and father in-law, moved to South Delhi in search of better opportunities after the hardships of the COVID-19 lockdowns. There, Khushi learned about the Magic Bus Livelihood Programme, and the opportunities that it offered her. Despite firm insistence from her in-laws that their daughter-in-law should be a housewife, and endless criticism from people in her community, Khushi joined the Livelihood Programme, with encouragement from both her husband and from Magic Bus.

Over the next two months, Khushi developed the skills that would not only help her to find a job, but to succeed in the workplace. She learned how to improve her communications skills, work with a team, how to use a computer, speak basic English, how to write a CV and succeed in an interview. Thanks to all of this training and support, Khushi was able to pass a rigorous selection process and secure herself a highly coveted sales executive position at a local fintech firm, with a salary that will allow her to fulfil her lifelong goal of supporting her family.

Today, Khushi exudes confidence and joy as she thrives in her job, a testament to all her hard work and determination, and to the life-changing opportunities offered by the Magic Bus Livelihood Programme.

“The training has had a profound impact on my confidence. Magic Bus has equipped me with invaluable problem-solving and communication skills. The Magic Bus Livelihood Programme has truly been my guiding light.”

News
By Ross Marshall

An Evening with Magic Bus UK

An Evening with Magic Bus UK

Last month, we were delighted to welcome the members of the Magic Bus UK Giving Circles, and a number of our other supporters, to the Conduit Club in London to share how their support is transforming lives across India.

 Following an introduction from UK Board Member Ruby Parmar, we heard from Magic Bus’ Parvati Pujari. Parvati shared with us her inspiring story of growing up in poverty in Mumbai, seeing her elder sisters married off at a young age and how she faced the same fate herself, her future taken away from her. But with Magic Bus’ support, Parvati was able to avoid becoming trapped in a child marriage, was allowed to continue her education, and leave poverty behind. Today, Parvati plays an important role managing Magic Bus’ international partnerships and serves as a role model and inspiration for girls and young women facing the same challenges and barriers that she has successfully overcome.

We also had the pleasure to hear from Chandrajit Chakraborty of Pearl Diver Capital, the latest organisation to join Magic Bus’ family of corporate partners. Mr. Chakraborty spoke of how important it is for companies like Pearl Diver to give back to the communities they are connected to, and how inspired he and the Pearl Diver team were seeing the difference Magic Bus is making for marginalised children in Kolkata. Thanks to Pearl Diver’s support, over 2,000 children living in poverty in Kolkata will receive life changing support.

We would like to thank everyone who attended this wonderful evening, to our speakers Ruby Parmar, Parvati Pujari and Chandrajit Chakraborty, and we look forward to seeing everyone again at our future events.

Parvati & Magic Bus UK Trustee Sanjay Jawa

Click here if you would like more information about joining the Magic Bus Giving Circles.

Click here if you would like more information about becoming a Magic Bus Corporate Partner.

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News
By Ross Marshall

Mrinalini’s Story

Mrinalini's Story - Every Child Deserves Support

In the city of Guwahati in the eastern Indian state of Assam, a group of boys and girls gather in an open field. Using chalk lines and wooden sticks, they created imaginary stones across a fantastical river of flames. Hand-in-hand, they carefully crossed the terrible river using the stepping stones for safety. This is one of Magic Bus’ special games called the “Five Passes”, an exciting adventure that helps teach communication, problem solving, and teamwork skills, as everyone works together to cross the flaming river. Among those taking part is a teenage girl called Mrinalini, and activities like the River of Flames are transforming her life in ways she never thought possible before.

15-year-old Mrinalini has an incredible passion for creativity. From painting to singing to dancing, she loves to express herself. She even designed posters that were used to promote water conservation at her local Magic Bus summer camp sessions. But Mrinalini struggled in school. Like many children around the world, she simply learned at a different pace from everyone else. But rather than recognising her different needs, Mrinalini’s teachers simply recommended to her parents that she withdraw from school, crushing her confidence and hopes for the future.

Magic Bus learned about Mrinalini’s struggles at school during a “Sit, Breathe, Think” activity during a session. Sit, Breathe, Think (SBT) is an opportunity for participants to reflect, discuss, and learn about the lessons and skills being taught in that particular Magic Bus session, and it was here that the Magic Bus mentors learned about Mrinalini’s growing reluctance to go to school. It quickly became clear that she needed additional support. After several home visits to speak with Mrinalini’s parents, her learning difficulties became apparent, and so meetings with her teachers were organised. Mrinalini’s Magic Bus mentors helped her teachers recognise that she needed additional support. As a result, both her confidence and academic performance has begun to improve.

Today, thanks to the intervention made by Magic Bus, and special activities like “Five Passes”, Mrinalini’s confidence is greater than ever. No longer afraid to ask her friends, family or teachers for help when needed, her problem-solving skills and self-assuredness continue to grow, and she’s now begun to think positively about what her future might hold.

“Today, I understand that people have different grasping abilities and learning pace, and I no longer feel ashamed. I’m grateful to Magic Bus for bringing this awareness to my school and community. I now excel in teamwork at school and have grand aspirations to support children like me in my community.”

News
By Ross Marshall

Sahil’s Story

Sahil's Story - Finding His Future

It’s a journey that’s familiar to young people around the world: leaving their rural home behind in in hope of finding better prospects, better jobs, better futures, in the city. This is no easy journey, and too many will fall by the wayside, trapped in poverty because they don’t have the education, skills or support they need to succeed. For 21-year-old Sahil, his story might have ended the same way, were it not for Magic Bus.

Sahil grew up in a region of India known as the Konkan, a long stretch of land running down India’s western coast from Mumbai to Goa. His family are farmers, and together with his parents they toiled in their single field every day to pull together an income that was barely sufficient on which to survive.

“Meeting our basic needs was a constant struggle for my family as our combined annual income was only Rs 100,000” (just over £900 a year), Sahil shares, reminiscing about his early days.

Like many other young people his age, Sahil decided that the
best way to support his family was to move to the big city, to Mumbai, where he could find a job that would provide a sustainable income. Along with his older brother, Sahil moved into a Chawl, a type of low-quality tenement closely associated with poverty that are found all over Mumbai. Unfortunately, despite his boundless enthusiasm to find a job, Sahil had no idea even where to begin. Without guidance, Sahil would likely remain trapped in unemployment, just like almost a quarter of all other young people in India.

As luck would have it, Sahil had made a friend who was familiar with the local Magic Bus Livelihood Programme, and he  recognised the opportunity it provided.

“Magic Bus was a turning point in my life. It’s where I found the support and guidance I needed.”

Sahil was eager from day one, always recognisable by his
smiling face in the front row. But there were still challenges to be overcome. To begin with, Sahil struggled to open up during sessions, fearful for being judged for his rural background. But with the support of his Magic Bus trainers and his classmates on the programme, Sahil’s communication skills improved, and
his self-confidence began to soar. As well as learning to open up, Sahil developed interview, teambuilding and communication skills. “I started doing self-study, submitted assignments on time, and actively participated in every session,” he shared.

With the help of the Livelihood Programme, Sahil was able to get an interview with Reliance Footwear, a subsidiary of Reliance, India’s largest retailer. After just a single interview, Sahil was immediately offered a job as Customer Care Executive and now earns over Rs 140,000 a year (around £1,350), a salary that will help Sahil not only start his journey out of poverty but also allows Sahil to achieve his goal of supporting his family.

“Magic Bus helped me bridge the gap, transforming my fear into confidence. They not only taught me skills but helped me present myself better. Magic Bus not only changed my life but also my family’s.”

 

News
By Ross Marshall

A Visit from the All England Lawn Tennis Club

A Visit from the All England Tennis Club

Magic Bus was thrilled to welcome members of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) to the Delhi Gymkhana Club in November, providing members of the AELTC an opportunity to see for themselves the impact that the Magic Bus & Wimbledon Foundation programme has had on children living in poverty in Delhi. It was also an opportunity for a few games of tennis!

Led by the All England Club’s own Head Coach, Dan Bloxham, AELTC members took part in activities with children from some of the communities where Magic Bus and the Wimbledon Foundation currently work. Thanks to Dan’s infectious energy, the children connected with him from the word go, and enjoyed a memorable two hours learning tennis skills from one of British Tennis’ most influential figures.

While sharing all sorts of tips and advice Dan also tested their skills, and was impressed with the children’s eagerness to learn, their sense of discipline both on and off the court, and with their confidence as they teamed up with other AELTC members, including Czech tennis legend Jan Kodes,
champion of both Wimbledon and the French Open.

Coming from communities that struggle to offer even the most basic facilities, the children left their challenges behind and walked onto the court with nothing but a positive attitude and their passion to learn. Their respect for the opportunity and their willingness to collaborate were a positive reflection of the kind mindset that Magic Bus works to instil in all the children it works with.

As Dan himself said: “We were delighted today with how the children behaved, their attitude, their characters were lovely. The respect they showed each other was something that we need to learn more. For the members of the club, this would be the best part of the tour.”

The event was a testament to the success of Magic Bus’ partnership with the Wimbledon Foundation in Delhi, which now enters its 9th year and continues to grow, reaching more children in need of support.

As well as using tennis to deliver the Magic Bus curriculum to both children and young people, community based tennis sessions are taking place that are helping our young volunteers and mentors earn accreditation as tennis coaches, some of whom have even gone on to take it up as a career, coaching in clubs and schools. To date, over 4,000 children and young people have taken part in the programme, and we’ll soon begin training teachers to deliver the special curriculum during school hours too.

This has been a fantastic partnership for Magic Bus with a funder who has been really engaged and keen to build on the grant year on year. In 2015 the grant was £25,000 for a year and as we enter the 9th year of funding the scale and ambition of the project has exceeded anything that we thought possible at the beginning, with a new grant for £100,000 being provided to further grow the programme and make an even bigger difference for children and young people living in poverty in Delhi.

News
By magicbusuk

Declaration of Team India Cobras @ The Street Child Cricket World Cup 2023

Declaration of Team India Cobras

@ The Street Child Cricket World Cup

Chennai, India, 2023

Street Child & MB Logos

We demand safety, education, equality and a voice for all!

We are Team India Cobras, young citizens of Mumbai. We represent other young people in our community and want to share our stories. In our experience, we do not enjoy all of our rights we are entitled to due to the following issues:

Give us access to healthcare!
We only have small clinics which do not have enough doctors, and for emergencies the closest hospital is 5km away. There is only one ambulance available 24/7.
The government should open up hospitals which are more accessible.

Let us learn!
The closest school is 4km away. To access our education and get to
school, there are two options: a dangerous walk or unreliable bus.
We want a Government school to be opened in our area.

Give us opportunities!
15% of children stay at home as they have no job. If you go to university you still do not get equal access to private jobs.
There should be no locality discrimination in hiring processes and open more local companies.

Give us equal respect!
Girls are not given equal respect compared to boys. Marriage for girls happens as early as 15 years old and there is an expectation that they then become home makers. What’s more, boys and girls are not allowed to talk freely with each other without judgment from the community.
We need more agents of change in the community who will develop a more open minded culture.

Keep us safe on the streets and roads!
Lots of accidents occur due to encroachment on the roads by street hawkers and garbage cans.
We want the roads to be widened, the number of street lights and footpaths increased, and better policing.

Healthcare is World Care, Boys Care is Girls Care.
We Care, Please All Care!

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