Their goals are against their own past

“Most of them have dark experiences while the pressures of life had led some of them astray. We are giving these boys,aged 18-21,a second chance,” Marshall says. And going off-track in life is something not too alien for this 34-year-old. “I was lost to the world of alcohol and smoking,but losing my father was a reality check,” says Marshall,who hails from Tamil Nadu.

The Joshua Generation initiative was founded a few years ago in Vashi,and it already has a number of youngsters from various social and economic backgrounds on board. “The name is inspired by the Biblical character,Joshua,who stood for the right things in life. The transformation that the boys undergo encourages their friends and colleagues to join in.”

The members are also involved in activities like gospel music and awareness programmes in slum areas. “I used to be part of the Christmas carol group and it was Ronnie Maben,who has been with Joshua Generation for a long time,who brought me in,” reveals 18-year-old Rohan Bangera.

The Vashi resident reveals that he first took to drugs in junior college and a few of his years were wasted. “I had no clue what I was up to,but a few sessions with Marshall & Co opened my eyes,” says Bangera who plays bass guitar for the band.

Benjamin Isaac,21,though suffered from a different sort of addiction. “I was sexually assaulted as a child. I had many misconceptions about sex and drifted away into unnecessary cravings,which even created a rift in my family relationships.”

It was a heartbreak for 21-year-old engineer Kandaswamy Konar. “My three-year long relationship bit the dust a day before my exams and I was shattered. It was only because of Marshall that I managed to get back my confidence,” says Konar,one of the few non-Christian members.

The word Joshua stands for salvation,liberation and victory. Whether these boys taste triumph on the football field or not,Marshall insists they have liberated themselves from their ghosts from the past.