Life Skills: A Key to Women’s Empowerment

Life skills are like a utility tool belt that you can always carry with you and utilise whenever you are faced with life’s challenges. At Magic Bus we believe that life skills have no gender. Life skills are key to improving employability and income-earning opportunities for women. To enable women to have control over their lives and put forth influence in society, empowering them is fundamental.

Creating a Supportive and Equal World for Children

You must have had such curious questions as a child. Children are curious. Curiosity is a crucial part of childhood. Children ask millions of questions because they are excited to learn new things and find solutions to problems. But not all children have an opportunity to find out the answers to their questions. According to the UDISE+ Report 2021-22, 12.61% of adolescents drop out of secondary school.

A Ball Can Change the World

Give a child a ball, and they may create history. Give them life skills, and it will create the future. But what happens when you combine a ball and life skills? You create Magic! Can’t believe it? For 23 years, Magic Bus has been changing the lives of adolescents across the nation by delivering life skills with the help of a ball and various sport-based activities. Using sports for social development may not be an unconventional method anymore but it is unique to see it scale up and reach more than a million adolescents.

Creating Entrepreneurs of the Future

"With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world." - The Dalai Lama Rakesh, a 25-year-old youth from Palghar is an alumni of our Entrepreneurship Development Programme. He says, “I am confidently starting expanding my business today thanks to the guidance and mentoring that Magic Bus offered me.”

Resilience is the Key to Evolution

Young women from marginalised communities in India face a unique set of challenges due to their gender and community status. Issues like dropping out of school, being pushed to get married sooner than the legal age and not being able to pursue a career for financial stability impact these young women more than we can imagine.

Up-skilling the Youths for the Futuristic Jobs

To meet the rising demand for a highly skilled workforce, Magic Bus joined hands with the global cloud computing leader, Amazon Web Services (AWS) which will allow us to acquire AWS’s cloud computing curriculum to train our youth. Read more about this exciting alliance.

The Unstoppables: Bringing Relief to Bhiwandi

Meet Gayatri and her team from Magic Bus who brought relief materials to families in need in Bhiwandi, on the outskirts of Mumbai.

The Unstoppables: Strengthening Community Bonds

The lockdown following COVID-19 has precipitated a massive humanitarian crisis in India. 67% of workers lost employment.

The Unstoppables: From Participant to Leader

The heart of a city is its people. Mumbai, which has been reporting the largest number of corona virus cases in India, is also showing astounding resilience.

The Unstoppables: Spreading Courage and Resilience

At a time when the world is challenged by an unfamiliar and fatal virus, what can actually work to keep us afloat? It is a belief that there is light at the end of this tunnel.

Prevent - Protect - Persevere: Magic Bus’ response to COVID- 19

As an organisation working with several lakhs of children and young people across 22 geographies, our first response to COVID- 19 was intuitive – focus on keeping our children and young people safe.

A world of one’s own making: Pournima Bawankar

“I did not know I could be anything apart from a daily wager, just like my parents,” says 31-year-old Pournima. 

Learning to Unlearn: How we can create inclusive spaces in the field for people with no interest in sports

It has been 10 years in Magic Bus and I am still thrilled about the work I do here. The children, communities, sports and so much more add value and memories to this journey. From a rugby player in the Magic Bus junior team to my present role as a Training Manager enabling Magic Bus staff and volunteers to carry out our activity-based curriculum in India and Bangladesh...

Learning to Learn: How the DISHA programme helped Jagu return to school

Jagu Rathore is 16 years old and lives in Lakhanpura village in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh. Khargone is located 74 km from Indore, the largest city of Madhya Pradesh. They are a family of five. With his elder sister’s marriage, Jagu, his parents and elder brother live in a wooden hut that Jagu calls ‘home’.

Learn at leisure: Learnings from the DISHA programme

DISHA programme is funded by HDFC bank and implemented by Magic Bus, Life Labs, and Learning Links Foundation, in partnership with the State governments of Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. The programme aims to build life skills of adolescents, improve their learning levels in numeracy, reading, and science, and ensure first-generation learners complete their formal education. The programme works in 172 schools across four states impacting the lives of 17,500 adolescents.

Magic Bus - Changing and moulding lives of thousands!

“Magic Bus”, mere a 8 letter word seemed worth exploring when I first heard it. There exists super man with super powers and then there exists some hearts who just can’t resist spreading good. Indeed, Magic Bus is a latter one.

Magic Bus stands true to its name

Who am I? I am someone who chose his parents & pin code wisely. How far you go in India depends on the parents you were born to & the pin code. I call it the ovarian lottery

A Ray of Hope in Guntur

In Guntur, Magic Bus works in 13 slum communities, all of which are in the outskirts of the city, and have only recently been brought under the Guntur Municipal Corporation. These are some of the poorest communities in Guntur, and where most of the people live in kutcha houses, and the communities lack even basic infrastructure.

LION, the movie

Dev Patel-Nicole Kidman starrer LION is based on the hard-hitting, real-life story of Saroo Brierley. Ever since its release, the movie has won countless hearts, nominations and awards. It is only a matter of time before it releases in India.

We are on instagram!

Are you addicted to Instagram? So are we!  Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, we don't want you to miss out on any of the lovely images we share.

Boarding the Magic Bus

The experience which followed stepping on board (literally and figuratively) for an internship with Magic Bus in Delhi was something more than what I had anticipated. Holding a small badge in my hand,

Volunteer Diaries: A Thousand Paper Cranes

What difference can I make? That’s what I first thought when my father suggested flying out of Singapore to work with an NGO in India. At that time, to me, Magic Bus was just another organization that a group of students in my school..

Where there is will: Pooja Kashyap from Bhalswa, Delhi

Pooja started working the day she completed her higher secondary. “I had no option but to earn. The entire family of seven was dependant on my mother. She works as a cook in Nizamuddin.”

Sofya and Reyna’s Magical Birthday

Birthdays come with such joy and happiness – all your loved ones gathered around that scrumptious cake to celebrate you! It also comes with the inevitable question – What gift would you like for your birthday?

Behind the scenes: Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy

Twelve Magic Bus children travelled all the way to USA to attend the prestigious soccer training by Julie Foudy. “It has been a month since we all came back. And I am still to wake out of the reverie,” says 17-year-old Bhavna

What is it like to be a Magic Bus volunteer?

In all our sessions, one can hear children calling out for "bhaiya" and "didi", their faces beaming with joy. We like to call these young boys and girls Community Youth Leaders, they are volunteers who are trained by Magic Bus..

5 things you should know about Magic Bus’ young friend, Ishaan Jaffer

Ishaan is a 16-year-old national-level swimmer who was adjudged the Best Swimmer in the under-17 boys’ category.  He is the youngest swimmer to win a gold medal in the 35th National Games

A little piece of clean, green earth

Imagine a childhood without play! A struggle, right? Such was the case at Appur, a community comprising of 350 households in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

10 things that you didn't know about sports

Sport is exceptionally transformative. No other activity enjoys the kind of attention and excitement that sport does. It helps one overcome barriers of culture, class, gender and unites communities.

Remember Shivam, our bright and courageous Community Youth Leader?

“I joined Magic Bus two-weeks ago”, says 18-year-old Arti. “My brother Shivam encouraged me to join Magic Bus. He has been with Magic Bus as a Community Youth Leader for over a year now”, replies Arti

#Throwback16: Our Sweet 16 stories

Shaikh Abdul Rehman Amin, Karjat Diary entry 1: I was in the ninth standard when I was 16. I was active and therefore, was selected as a class monitor. If a teacher was absent I would stand in front of the class with a stick in one hand...

Day 6: Drowsy at Sea

The only sadness in beauty is leaving it behind. Waking up at the doorsteps of a superb temple here in Divegar, I had my breakfast of cold milk and cereal. The three eggs from yesterday evening's home stay / restaurant were protein...

#Throwback16: Our Sweet 16 stories

On Magic Bus' 16th birthday, our contributors shared what it was to be 16! 16 again! Sucheta Ghosh, Kolkata. I am a married lady. I manage home and office simultaneously.

Every smiling face

Yesterday, I wrote about how sport helps transcend boundaries. Today it played out before me in spectacular fashion. I woke up early today to attend the Magic Bus  session.

Who said a young person cannot be a great leader?- Meet Ravinder, Magic Bus Community Youth Leader from Telangana

Ravinder, 22, found his calling when he saw children living in abject poverty in his neighbourhood at Kothwalpalle, Telangana. “Our terrible plight always bothered me. I felt I was wasting my time in school.

Arming the youth with attitude set for success

In just over a decade, a quarter of a billion people will be added to the working population of India. "Imagine the entire working population of the US being added to India's current labour pool by 2030!

Scripting Change

Read about a Magic Bus Youth Mentor, who overcame all odds to become a leader in her community, mentoring 813 children. When 23-year-old Mamta opted to become Magic Bus’ Community Youth Leader at Sultanpuri in north-west Delhi...

Magic Bus children and Matthew Spacie gets featured in Aamir Khan hosted Satyamev Jayate tele show

Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails) is a popular social commentary show which explores crucial social issues in India, looking at individual, government, and non-government efforts to address those issues...

Magic Bus: Changing lives through sports

For Englishman Mathew Spacie it all started in the bylanes of Mumbai's Parel area in 1999. His aim was to take children out of poverty and give them a purpose in life through sports. Spacie's love for India, in fact, began as a 17-year-old..

From India to South Korea: My experience at a UNOSDP Youth Leadership Camp

This is a blog by 21-year old Radhika Jeenwal's about her experience at a UNOSDP (UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace) Youth Leadership Camp in South Korea. Radhika is a Magic Bus Training and Monitoring Officer in charge...

A historic time for sport for development in India

From the desk of Magic Bus CEO, Pratik Kumar  I am very happy to share that Magic Bus has been awarded the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar (National Sports Promotion Award), by the President of India, Hon. Sri Pranab Mukherjee,..

Magic Bus breaking the cycle of poverty, one child at a time

The true potential of mankind is an unimaginable force that can do wonders if harnessed. As rightly said by the first African American President of the USA, “It’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself...

Magic Bus Children attend 'Know Your Museum' Workshop

National Museum, New Delhi, India's largest museum, became a learning hub this summer. 360 Magic Bus children along with a group of our Community Youth Leaders (CYLs) and Youth Mentors (YMs) got the opportunity...

Letter from 16-year old Magic Bus volunteer

Slums in growing mega cities have drawn various responses from onlookers; from outright anger and disgust to passing nonchalance or complete resignation to their inevitability. We have found their inhabitants to be an object of our sympathy...

Magic Bus' Deepika Rana gets Gold International Award for Young People

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller. Meet Deepika, our International Award for Young People (IAYP) Gold Awardee for her selfless services to society.

Mentoring India's Next Generation to Move Out of Poverty

Pratik Kumar is the CEO of Magic Bus, a TOMS Giving Partner distributing new, locally produced shoes to children in need in India. At TOMS, we’re proud to support partners like Magic Bus and their incredible programming, where shoes are...

Inauguration of Youth Development Centres for our Karnataka programme

Our world is fraught with social, cultural, political and environmental challenges. This scenario is an opportunity for societies to transform their value systems and create a more sustainable and equitable present and future.

Let’s bring change through sport ? Discover 365 Project ? Day 85

What is Magic Bus? Magic Bus is a non-profit working with 250,000 children, in 17 states, with some of India’s most marginalised neighbourhoods, using sport as a mechanism to institute behavioural change.

Magic Bus Trainers at EMPOWER 2014 Youth Conference

EMPOWER 2014 is ROTA’s (Reach Out To Asia) sixth annual 3-day Youth Conference on Leadership, Service Learning and Global Citizenship, Qatar. In the last 5 five years, EMPOWER has gained a reputation as the first youth-led..

Magic Bus Delhi gets its first Community Resource Centre

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step," LAO-TZU. Passionate and enthusiastic youth mentors and staff from our North Delhi Programme Team were overjoyed when their efforts and work in the field was recognised...

Insights into a Youth Development Camp

A Youth Development camp was held for 100 Community Youth Leaders (CYLs), who volunteer to deliver our Thane programme in Maharashtra. The camp took place at our Magic Bus Learning Centre on the outskirts of Mumbai.

Shared Values as an Opportunity

The new CSR Clause in the Companies Bill 2012 is a unique opportunity for companies to engage in the shared values of all entities – values such as human development, youth welfare, better health and more gender equity for all.

Gulafsha Khan: Mentor, Guide, Leader, Teacher at Magic Bus

Not far from the historic city of the erstwhile Mughal rulers, Delhi, is the large settlement colony of Bhalswa. In stark contrast to the grandeur of the capital city, Bhalswa can best be described as Delhi’s largest dumping ground.

We're making sport safer

The ball’s in our court: Using sport for social change

This article is written by Nidhi Gupta for The Sunday Guardian who interviewed Magic Bus' CEO Pratik Kumar, following the Next Step 2014: Using Sport for Good conference which Magic Bus recently hosted, on the link between sports...

Magic Bus CEO answers questions on the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Clause

On 18th, December 2012, the Indian Legislature passed the Companies Bill 2012. One of the key changes in the new bill is the introduction of a Corporate Social Responsibility clause making India the first country to mandate CSR..

Women take the lead at Family Meeting at Magic Bus, Bangalore

The first African-American President of the USA once said, “Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than...

Pink and Blue: The possible signs of danger

“First I thought I would become a teacher because it is an easy profession, and as people say one doesn’t need to study much. But now I think I will be in the police and help the victims of domestic violence.

Summer workshop for children from Delhi resettlement communities

168 children from four resettlement communities we work with in Delhi, enjoyed a visit to the National Museum this summer, where they engaged in various arts and crafts activities.

Magic Bus & ITVS putting the power of media to work for women and girls in India

9 Magic Bus youth mentor leaders responsible for training our volunteers in the field were brought together to take part in a new and potentially ground-breaking initiative using the power of media and technology to drive disadvantaged young people...

A consultation on Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health with the Government of Bihar and Development Partners

Magic Bus organised a two-day State Consultation on Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health with the Government of Bihar and other NGOs at Patna in Bihar on the 6th and 7th of June, 2013.

Akash Verma ? Magic Bus’ Youngest Volunteer

It’s Sunday morning. I’m in Laxmi Narayan Park in the posh Vasant Vihar area of Delhi. A young boy walks into the park carrying two bulky bags on each side. An excited group of children, aged between 8 and 12, come huddling in from a nearby Bhanvar Singh Camp

Buy One - Give Light Program

Help MPOWERD tackle Energy Poverty and purchase a Luci light for someone in need through Magic Bus. MPOWERD is committed to giving light to the people who need it most.

Moving forward with Magic Bus in incredible India

Earlier this year (March), a trio of Cricket for Change(C4C) staff headed out to India to continue the development work on a 3-year programme in partnership with Magic Bus India

My “World of Difference” Journey

50 days ago – I set out on my journey, with trepidation. A journey into the unknown, a journey full of challenges, more internal than external, a journey into the ‘World of Difference’.

Magic Bus: Reaching out to slums with sport

The NGO introduces sport into slums as a medium for bringing children together and imparting lessons. I’m 46!” gasps Matthew Spacie, as if he had revealed himself to be an octogenarian.

There are Thousands of Lives in One Single Life

It is a happy talent to know how to play. – Ralph Waldo Emerson. I have come to India to photograph play. Magic Bus India, an international NGO working in 10 states in India and involving 250,000 children,

Connect Programme spreads its wings: East Delhi Launch

The morning of Feb 1, 2013 was full of excitement for more than 30 young women and men at the Magic Bus East Delhi Office. The Connect Programme, our answer to enhancing youth employability in India...

Connect Pilot in Mumbai

On 17th December 2012, at 10.30 am a small and visibly excited motley group of people sat down to a conversation that marked the beginning of a new phase in the Magic Bus journey.

Children on a journey to a better future..

In India, the Magic Bus programme shows us how young people can realise their dreams, reports Tessa Jowell. Published in The Telegraph, UK. For the original article,

Celebrating The Girl Child!

Magic Bus is thrilled to have participated in the International Girl child day celebrations organized by the Asian Girl Campaign, as their strategic partner for India.

Girls Soccer: Phillips, Penncrest kick off for a good cause

Some summer camps offer a few days of fun in the sun. Some offer transformational experiences. For Penncrest midfielder Paige Phillips, last summer was one of the latter.

Chennai Kicks It Loud

Magic Bus made its way into Chennai with enthusiastic efforts of District Programme Manager,Jaraslo Vinod Raj(we call him Jerry), in April when children of the Tamilcapital enjoyed the first sessions organised with the help of the local

Founder-CEO Matthew Spacie (MBE) to run with the Olympic Torch

This is THE day! Matthew is running with the Olympic Torch today, the 23rd of July, 2012, through the London Borough of Sutton.

Torchbearers On The Magic Bus

On July 23, Matthew Spacie, Founder-CEO Magic Bus, a non-profit organisation that works with less-privileged kids, will carry the Olympic torch in London. Also there will be one of their star footballers,

Dharavi Girl's Football Project Gets Her Ticket To The Olympics

15-year-old Gulafsha won a global online campaign organised by Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy (JFSLA) earlier this year, which secured her a chance to be at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Magic Bus - One Man's Quest To Transform Indian Children's Lives With Sport

I first came across Magic Bus and its self-effacing, charming-yet-unstoppable founder, Matthew Spacie, during the course of one my regular visits to Mumbai. I quickly became enthralled...

Bringing Hope In Despair

Harshita Arvind, our newest hire in Relationships, shares her experience of being at her first Magic Bus session held at an East Delhi location.

Street20 - League For A Cause

Street20 Cricket is a different game. UK-based Cricket For Change (C4C) has been using cricket to change the lives of disadvantaged young people. Magic Bus partnered with C4C last year with the support of Barclays Spaces for Sports

Now, Girls Play With Boys | A BMW-Magic Bus Partnership Story

The partnership helped us address gender issues in Lal Kuan (Chungi 3), a slum location in South Delhi. Like a majority of Delhi’s slum settlements, Lal Kuan is a crowded

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something; but I can’t accept not trying!” | A BMW-Magic Bus Partnership Story

Appreciate, encourage, improve – some of the most essential elements of being a mentor with Magic Bus. These elements can easily turn a seemingly impossible situation around.

India's Magic Bus Ensures Happiness On Wheels

The first organisation to deliver high-impact development sport for programmes, Magic Bus aims to create a world where children have the freedom to choose the role they want to play in life and be able to define their own destiny.

The Dasra Social Impact Experience

"People say, some things change your life. No one who signed up for the Dasra Social-Impact, Cohort-6 programme in July / August 2011 would have thought this would be one of them", feels Kusum

Sports effective tool for change in gender issues: Study

New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Sensitising young athletes and their coaches about gender issues can be an effective tool for prevention of violence against women, according to a study by a prominent women's

Teen Wraps Up Successful Soccer Gear Drive

This week, we bring you this article from Benicia Herald, featuring how teenager Emily Wolfe successfully drove an equipment-giving campaign, to enable more people play in her neighborhood and...

#BeASport Campaign

#BeASport is a social media movement that is bringing together top stars to help educate India's youth through style + sport.

You Can Help Magic Bus & Contribute To Girls’ Opportunities Abroad

Ever wonder how you could help girls abroad from your own desktop? Or get involved with a cause that can help bridge the cultural divide between the US and our global neighbors? Well, here’s your chance!

A "Magic Bus" For City Kids

The buildings at the Magic Bus camp - like this cabin where campers sleep - were made from materials commonly used in Mumbai's slums, so that visiting children from poor districts would encounter familiar material used in new ways.

Excursion In Delhi

As team North Delhi organised a fun-filled picnic to beat the heat, we got our first entry for the blog from Santosh Kumar, a Training and Monitoring Officer with Magic Bus. Read on, as we present this post in his original words.

Sport For Development Training At LNUPE, Gwalior

Magic Bus trainers Chirag Sakhare and Subhomoy Bhaduri spent two days with sport volunteers from eleven African countries at Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education, Gwalior

Not A Child's Play - I

The summer season is here. And to beat up the scorching heat, we have this wonderful color piece from Rashi Jamuar as she shares an exciting induction she underwent with a colleague at Magic Bus.

Ek Chhaap Badlaav Ka (A Handprint For Change)

Ryan Ballard reports AIF Clinton Fellowship and Magic Bus display at 2012 Mumbai Marathon.

Sports Program Helps Children Overcome Despair Of Poverty

India And Its Youth - Maneuvering Sports To Empower

They're Not Just Poor, They're Kids

William J Clinton fellow Ryan Ballard shares some of his experiences with Magic Bus from his American India Foundation year in India.

Cricket-ness, And More

"Have you ever been smiled at by a random kid on the street, in a way that would brighten up not just one day but days? I was, by about 50 of them, together", says Rashi Jamuar as she puts up her first post on the Magic Bus blog.

Dharavi Girl Sees A Chance To London Olympics 2012

Mumbai, India: All she needs is a few clicks from you and those in your networks. Gulafsha, who has been on the Magic Bus programme for a long time now, is participating in the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy

Marks And Magic

Magic Bus got rewarded as NDTV's Marks for Sports campaign came to a glorious close in New Delhi on Sunday

Magic Bus Tame Desperadoes In MDFA League

A quick one from the Mumbai District Football Association of Maharashtra, we bring you the latest development at the four-year old Magic Bus Football Team (MBFT) this time.

Haryana Forms Committee To Set Up NIS-Style Sports Centre

At the beginning of 2012, we are happy to share a recent development as the Government of Haryana moves another step towards sport for all.

Education And Values

The failure in academic learning is closely linked to the failure to nurture values and sensitivity to others and nature. This time, we bring to you an expert's view, as we repost an article by Venu Narayan in the LiveMint.

Workshop On Sport for Development And Peace

The Youth Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, London in collaboration with Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre organized the Commonwealth Asia Regional..

My First Magical Bus Ride

Magic Bus intern Binni Rawat thoroughly enjoyed the company of the young children as she attended her first Magic Bus session. Read ahead to live through her lovely experience.

Footfalls To Footballs - With Shoes Or Without

The first-ever Football tournament in Parigi catalyzes change through fun (and sports).What’s more, the team from the rural town stands the winner, with shoes or without.

Coming Aboard Magic Bus

On her first visit to a Magic Bus session in Delhi, Bidisha Fouzdar shares her experience with the kids and the team.

International Literacy Day Celebration

Literacy is not a luxury; it is a right and a responsibility. If our world is to meet the challenges of twenty first century, we must harness the energy and creativity of all our citizens.

School Chalein Hum (Let's Go To School)

While successful enrolment of 83 kids from a resettlement colony in North Delhi into a Government school makes Magic Bus proud, Deepika Srivastava takes extra joy in posting her first post on the blog: School Chalein Hum (Let's Go To School)

Transforming Through Sport

Saumya Bhasin and Shireen Saxena share a story from the rurals of Andhra Pradesh, India. There could be nothing better than a pleasant, breezy morning to give you a headstart for the kind...

GoogleServe At Magic Bus

What happens when you Google for fun? Pure magic! Here's an example of how Google spent a day with us for their 4th GoogleServe, the search giant's annual philanthropic initiative.

Strive And Thrive - It's A Magic Bus Session

"They say just living is not enough. You need little sunshine, few raindrops and a tinge of freedom to experience life in a life itself." Ira Bhadoria shares an interesting experience, the Meethi Taali way.

Just Boarded

We were at Magic Bus and it was only after those 10-days of absolute fun and friendships that I went through the regular (though interesting) PowerPoint slides back here. Experiential learning, what we believe in here, came..