Ashar Yahya (17, Dubai, United Arab Emirates) is the founder of a charity cricket tournament (“Cricket for a Cause”) intended to help low-income kids from developing countries pursue education. He has combined his passion for his favorite sport, entrepreneurial spirit, and desire to help young people who are less privileged than him. With the help of major sponsor organizations such as Pepsi, Pringles, and Red Bull, Ashar has raised over $15,000 for various charitable causes.

Ashar’s lifelong compassion and commitment to community service brought him to a Dubai-based institution that provided therapy for disabled children. His volunteer work brings him joy and a feeling of reward for helping others in need. Ashar realized that he can do a lot more to help young people who are denied equal access to education and kids with disabilities. The first Cricket for a Cause tournament was held in 2015 during Ramadan. While only 8 teams participated initially, this year, the number of teams doubled. The charity cricket league takes place every year around late May-June.

Cricket for a Cause gathered big media attention – Ashar’s work was featured in several newspapers andgained sponsorship from major global businesses. The money Ashar raises is goes to a non-profit organization called Dubai Cares, whichs aims to provide quality primary education for kids from impoverished neighborhoods.

Ashar acts as a global activist for equal education for all kids. He engages young people in working towards solving this issue and inspires his peers to start similar initiatives. Ashar believes that Cricket for a Cause is only the start of something big and truly meaningful.