Large crowds gathered to welcome Laureus World Sports Academy Member Steve Waugh as he paid an emotional visit to Mumbai to meet and play sport with disadvantaged children from the slums of the Bombay Port Trust area of the city, at the Laureus-supported Magic Bus project. The Magic Bus Project gives the children an opportunity to develop vital personal and social skills that will help them to a better future.
Steve Waugh at the Magic Bus
For those of us not so familiar with cricket, Waugh was the most successful captain in the history of Test cricket, with 41 wins in 57 Tests.
At the project, Waugh met Magic Bus founder Matthew Spacie who explained to him that Magic Bus provides opportunities for less privileged children through recreation and sports activities. Activity within Mumbai is focused on the children from the slums in the Dharavi, Mankhurd, Jogeshwari and Bombay Port Trust area of Mumbai where 54% of the population lives below India’s poverty line. Outside of Mumbai the programme is reaching out to over 140,000 children in Delhi, Andra Pradesh and rural Maharashtra. Founded in February 1999, in partnership with other local organisations, Magic Bus has developed and grown into one of the largest projects of its kind for children from 7 to 18 living in urban and rural poverty in India.
Steve Waugh said ‘I have a 24 year history with India and am inspired by the people of this great country. For over 12 years I have been involved in charity work in India and over this time learnt a lot about the challenges that young people face. So many of India’s children do not have the opportunity to meet their full potential. Magic Bus is an inspirational programme making a difference for some of the children in India. It’s been great to meet the kids and everyone involved in the project. I am happy to support this Laureus Sport for Good programme as a Laureus Sports Academy Member. Through sport we can make a real and significant difference to childrens lives.’
Magic Bus believes in the child’s right to a positive future in which they make their own choices and take responsibility for change. Only through this change in mindset can they themselves move out of poverty. You now have the chance to win a Cricket bat signed by Steve Waugh on this trip:
