The Art of Soccer (Bangalore)

Today we say our goodbyes to Alex and Chandni and travel to Bangalore. Here we meet with Anita, the executive director of Oasis India. Anita is yet another inspiring woman who dedicates her life to standing up for the rights of women and children. Strong, courageous, intelligent, passionate and not afraid to speak her mind. Carolyn, Anita and I talk over dinner and we quickly find comfort in knowing  that we are all united with the same beliefs, morals and understanding that things need to change. Anita shares many plans and ideas and we are truly excited for what's in store in the next couple of days. Bangalore is different to Mumbai. It's just as busy, but has a sense of calm to it, it seems more cosmopolitan and current, in a less saris and more denim kind of way. Bangalore is full of 'vertical slums'. Modern day slums the government built in an effort to sweep the homeless off the streets and contain them in mass volumes in a high rise building. This way, they don't take up more space where you could build a commercial building or luxury apartments. When I say vertical building, imagine a concrete block, most with minimal or no light, no proper bathroom or kitchen facilities and rooms small enough to barely fit one person let alone a family of ten. It's interesting that the Government seems to have the resources to build and modernise slums yet the problem remains the same.
After dinner we return to a quiet Catholic retreat, our home for the night. It's made up of small dorms and adorned with pictures of the pope. As I sit in my room to write this post, I hear the very distinct sounds of a muslim call to prayer  nearby and i'm reminded of the religious diversity of India.
The next morning, we get up early to join Satyaraj, an honourable man who has dedicated his life to taking disadvantaged children off the streets and coaching them soccer, who has kindly invited us to their daily soccer practices. An ex-professional soccer player, Satyaraj now focuses on giving kids hope and direction in life through the art of sport. Practice starts at 7am but when we arrive on the field at 6.30am the kids are already there, full of enthusiasm and energy, unfazed by the early morning hour.
Just as well, as Satyaraj is a man of discipline and is strict on his coaching methods. "It gives them structure and balance", Satyaraj tells us "...they are used to getting up early anyway, as most of them were/are homeless so they get woken up by the rats that occupy the streets". As we watch the boys, some as young as five warm up in their torn canvas shoes, Satyaraj points out one after another and tells us of their stories. These are children who live in makeshift homes covered with a single torn sheet of tarp, assembled in insidious parts of the city streets, often sharing this space with up to ten or more brothers and sisters. Most of them used be or still are beggars, an overwhelmingly obvious issue in Bangalore. We hear of stories of boys being kidnapped and grievously harmed to look more "appealing" as a beggar. Some boys have deep physical scars on their bodies, proof that violence is part of their every lives. Some of these scars have been caused by gang activity. A common story of boys here who end up in gangs and a life of violence and they themselves become the ones to inflict physical and emotional pain on other boys...and the cycle goes on.
The boys on the field today are bonded by common stories of injustice but now all find hope in something they are clearly passionate about. It's amazing to see what happens one one individual is given a sense of direction, sense of security and sense of purpose. These boys have found this and more under Satyaraj's direction - and they are good. I mean really good. Granted, I don't know much about soccer but I know enough to notice a good player when I see one. They are fast, determined, focused, athletic, strong and play as if they are all trying to make Satyaraj and his coaching team proud. The coaching team is made up of boys, now men, who have come through Satyaraj's training program. Some of them have qualified to play in the national team. However, they dedicate most of their time in paying it forward and now training boys who, in so many, they can see their young selves in. David, was homeless, involved in street crime and part of a gang when a chance meeting with Satyaraj changed his life. He is now a key player on the national team and coaches the senior Oasis team.
Anan is another young player. He's 11 years old and one to watch. He has a rare skill in that he can shoot goals and play with both feet, a skill i'm told that is sought after by the elite premiere league soccer teams all around the world. Anan used to sleep on the footpaths each night and Satyaraj and his team noticed that he used to come to training with noticeable wounds on his feet, they soon realised that these wounds were marks left by rats which gnawed on his toes throughout the night. This prompted Satyaraj to quickly find suitable shelter and protective homes for these young boys, and now he and his coaching staff take it upon themselves to live in these shelters with their extended soccer family. The sense of joy is contagious and I didn't even realise the time pass by as I sat and watched pride, freedom,  happiness, sense of safety, community and team spirit all embodied in the act of sportsmanship and art of soccer.