One Child Spoke Up. Six Others Got a Chance at a Better Future: A visit to TAABAR
By Manoj Badale OBE,
Lead Owner, Rajasthan Royals
Member, International Advisory Council of the British Asian Trust
In May 2026, Rajasthan Royals Lead Owner and our Advisory Council member Manoj Badale OBE, along with cricketers from the RR team, visited our partner TAABAR, a children's rehabilitation centre in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The British Asian Trust supports TAABAR under its KAWACH programme that works with government and community systems to keep vulnerable children safe from harm and enable them to dream of better futures. Here are Manoj’s reflections.
I've been on the Advisory Council of the British Asian Trust for a few years now and have also formerly been the Chair of the Trust. The British Asian Trust's KAWACH programme works with government and community systems to keep vulnerable children safe and give them the opportunity to thrive. I've read the reports, heard the updates, and seen the data. But there's a difference between knowing something and actually seeing it. That's why I wanted to bring the Rajasthan Royals team to visit one of KAWACH’s supported projects - TAABAR, a children's rehabilitation centre in Jaipur.
When we were planning this, I didn't think too much about what it would mean for us.
We walked in and there were over fifty boys in the middle of a dance class. Laughing, performing, completely at ease. I don't know what I'd imagined I’d find in the centre, but it wasn't that. These children had been through things most of us can't picture, and here they were, weeks or months later, just being kids. That hit me more than I expected.
The players Donovan Ferreira, Jofra Archer, Adam Milne, Yash Raj Punja, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, alongside British Asian Trust ambassador and coach Kumar Sangakkara got off to a great start with the children. They talked about their own lives — where they came from, the struggles, what cricket had given them. The kids gave us handmade cards. We gave them signed jerseys and cricket gear.
There was one thing I heard that afternoon that I haven't been able to shake. A boy at the centre — not long after arriving — told us about how he found the courage to speak up about his ordeal. That courage had led to six other children being brought to safety. He was a child himself, still settling in, still healing. And he spoke up. The team had earned enough of his trust that he felt he could.
Helping children heal and rebuild their lives
Spending time there also made me understand that getting a child to safety is really just the beginning. Every meal is planned by a nutritionist. There are counsellors, a doctor, creative programmes.
Every aspect of their care had clearly been thought through, from physical health to emotional wellbeing to creative development, and the TAABAR team moves between those roles with real expertise and genuine affection for the children. The dignity with which each child is treated was deeply moving.
What also became clear is that lasting change requires going beyond the centre itself: the team has built close working relationships with local police and authorities across the region and is actively engaged in pushing for stronger coordination around preventing harms against children. That combination of immediate care and systemic engagement is what makes the work so effective.
Before we left, I told the team how much the visit had meant for us, “What you are doing here is truly inspiring. These children have immense potential, and the hope you provide is helping them believe in a brighter future. We are honoured to spend time with them today.”
For many of the children, meeting international cricketers was an unforgettable afternoon. But honestly, we came away with more than we gave. The resilience in that room, in those children and in the people who show up for them every day — that's what stays with you.
Supporting programmes like this genuinely changes lives, and not just one at a time. The need is real, the work is rigorous, and the impact is tangible. I would encourage anyone considering supporting the British Asian Trust to do so. What they are making possible on the ground is something everyone involved should be proud of.
