The figures above are shocking and, quite frankly, overwhelming.  Onside has worked in India since 2011, and in 2022 we launched the Tackle Trafficking project—a response to a crisis that still grips thousands of children every year.

 

National human rights reports and independent NGOs estimate that between 30,000 and 45,000 children vanish annually across the country. Some are sold for adoption, others pulled into slavery or the sex trade. A portion are rescued, but many are not, and a significant number return home only to be rejected. With nowhere safe to go, these young people remain in government institutions until they turn 18, when they face a stark choice: move to another state home or survive on the streets.

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These children stand on a knife-edge of vulnerability, yet their futures are not fixed. Onside Soccer, in partnership with the Sir Stanley Matthews Foundation, the Dr John Joseph Foundation, and several Chennai-based NGOs, is supporting 90 girls living in a government institution. They receive focused literacy and numeracy tuition, sports coaching that boosts physical and emotional wellbeing, and vocational training designed to open real pathways into stable work. Through partnerships with trusted local businesses, Onside Soccer has also secured guaranteed job interviews for these young women when they're ready to step into the workforce.

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Their lives have been marked by hardship and injustice, but this is not the end of their story. In football, a single moment can shift the outcome of a 90-minute match. Here, you have the chance to shift the outcome for 90 young people - and rewrite their futures entirely.  A donation, large or small, directly fuels tutoring, training, coaching and employment opportunities. It becomes the steady ground these girls have never had. By giving, you’re not just providing help; you’re giving them the chance to shape a life that was once out of reach.

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