Railway Children - Ride India
It has now been just over a week since I returned from India. Between getting back into the hum drum of my everyday life I have had lots of time to reflect on what was an amazing adventure, centred around a crushingly desperate situation.
Along with a brilliant group of assembled people from across the UK, I have just completed a punishing bike ride between Agra and Jaipur in aid of the Railway Children Charity, sponsored by Thales. Our route covered 450km and took us to a world so different from the UK. A friend once described India as an ‘assault on the senses’ - it certainly is! The colours, smells and sights are all so vibrant and change rapidly from moment to moment.
The ride was tough, not in terms of the landscape, but the heat. Cycling in temperatures above 30 degrees for 6 consecutive days, on bumpy roads with some questionable driving standards from our fellow road users, made for more than a few challenging moments!
The colour and vibrancy of the small part of India we visited is a huge contrast to home, as is the comparative standard of living of the majority of people we met and saw on our journey. Their material wealth is incomparable but we were always welcomed with open arms and a smile.
So why did we do it?
The Railway Children exists to help vulnerable children in grave circumstances. Their objective is to provide relief to children and young people who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress and in particular to those living on the streets in the UK, India and Africa. For these children, the streets are often the only means of support available, but they are also where they suffer abuse and exploitation.
Since their inception in 1995, Railway Children has helped many thousands of children and young people living alone and at risk on the streets.
We had the opportunity to meet some of the wonderful staff and the children they are supporting at a Children’s Centre and Railway station in Delhi. This really drove home why the work of the Railway Children is so important. I loved that for a few hours we were able to talk to the staff and play board games with the children. I believe all children have the right to be safe and happy. Seeing how the Railway Children are providing that basic right was amazing, and to be able to help contribute to that happiness, even just for a few moments, was a real privilege.
The ride was hard work, and it is never easy to be away from my family, but seeing the impact of that hard work and the money raised making a real difference to the lives of those children – it was all worth it.
Find out more about the Railway Children;ailway Children; https://www.railwaychildren.org.uk