THE CONTEXT :

Across India, approximately 200 million children are growing up in an economically and socially disadvantaged environment. These children are often denied the opportunity to develop essential life and leadership skills such as confidence, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and discipline.

This is not just an educational gap; it is a generational crisis that does not allow them to maximise their potential and traps a majority of them in a vicious cycle of poverty, preventing them from securing stable jobs and independence.

By 2027, India will have the world’s largest youth workforce, yet many from low-income families will NOT have critical life skills to perform and succeed at these jobs. There is an urgent need to equip young people with essential life skills that will help them secure jobs and lead better lives. 

There are many ways to build these skills, and football (which is a team sport) is a very powerful way to build these key life skills. On the field, children learn confidence, teamwork, communication, discipline, and leadership -essential skills to become a much better individual.

This is exactly what the NGO Enabling Leadership (EL) is doing through its innovative EL PLAY program.

THE SOLUTION :

The NGO Enabling Leadership is addressing this generational crisis by equipping children from underserved communities with essential life and leadership skills through engaging, experiential learning.

The organisation runs three innovative programs using powerful creative mediums:

• EL Play – Football

• EL Create – Music

• EL Build – Lego-type building blocks

This campaign aims to raise funds for the EL PLAY program, which provides leadership skills through football.

The EL Play program works in government and low-income schools, using football as a powerful medium to develop leadership and life skills.

Meet Gaurish, a child whose life was transformed through the EL Play program. His journey is a powerful example of how football can unlock confidence, leadership, and a brighter future.

Gaurish and his friends during one of their matches. Read his complete story below.

Let’s help more children like Gaurish!!

These programs target children aged 11–15 years, a critical age when skills developed can shape their entire future.

Through structured yet fun activities, they focus on building essential life skills such as:

• Grit and resilience.

• Work ethic and planning with discipline.

• Communication and collaboration.

• Creativity, Problem-solving & critical thinking.

• Understanding the other gender.

• Citizenship and a sense of community.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

• Improved Educational Outcomes: Increased resilience, confidence, and problem-solving skills leading to better academic engagement

• Gender Equality: Mixed-gender participation builds mutual respect and empowers girls as leaders

• Holistic Growth: Combined school, parent, and community engagement supports long-term employability and life success

Scroll down to see the different teams from EL Play in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

The EL Play ELevate league is now the world’s largest mixed-gender football tournament, with over 6,000 students participating.

THE IMPACT :

Your support directly enables children to receive a full year of structured life and leadership development. This includes: Classroom supplies, Football gear, 72 hrs of experiential mentoring sessions, teacher fees, training materials and participation in our annual Football league tournament.

ABOUT ME AND THIS CAMPAIGN :

My name is Rashmi, and I am a concerned citizen.

I am doing this campaign to give children from underserved communities a real chance to build essential life and leadership skills through football. I strongly believe that every child deserves an equal opportunity to grow in confidence, teamwork, discipline, and leadership, irrespective of their background.

Football has always fascinated me as a powerful medium that can teach important life lessons in a fun and engaging way. The EL Play program is currently active in Bengaluru (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Pune (Maharashtra), Hyderabad (Telangana), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Satana (Maharashtra), Pollachi (Tamil Nadu), Dharwad (Karnataka), and Kumta (Karnataka).

Through this campaign, I want to support and expand this impactful program so that many more children can benefit from structured football-based learning.

Your contribution can make a direct difference. With INR 10,500, you can support one child for a full year of life and leadership skills training through the EL Play program. I urge you to join me in empowering the next generation and helping them break the cycle of poverty.

LOCATION OF THE SCHOOLS :

ABOUT THE NGO:

Enabling Leadership is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children from underserved backgrounds develop the life and leadership skills needed to break out of the cycle of poverty. Through its programs, EL Create, EL Play, and EL Build, the organisation uses experiential learning methods and creative mediums to make skill-building engaging, practical, and impactful.

The organisation also strongly promotes gender equality, working to reshape mindsets by empowering girls and building positive perspectives among boys. Currently, Enabling Leadership reaches 10,200 beneficiaries across India, Kenya, Cambodia, and Singapore.

TAX BENEFITS:

Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as the organisation, Enabling Leadership, is a registered trust, and you can avail of benefits under Section 80G of the IT Act. Foreign funding is NOT accepted.