By Bonny Burrows
Lucy Wardrop-Brown thought she was doing the right thing.
Volunteering at an orphanage in Nepal four years ago, Lucy was on top of the world, feeling like she was doing some good in the world.
But sitting in a cafe overlooking a busy Kathmandu street, her bubble burst- the children weren’t orphaned but stolen from their families.
The Upper Beaconsfield mother-of-three was shocked to learn the orphans she had cared for were possible victims of child trafficking.
“The harsh reality is that a great deal of children in orphanages there were not legitimate orphans,” Lucy said.
Opening her eyes to the overseas child trafficking trade, Lucy has since committed her life to social justice.
Her latest venture is a family affair, and involves her husband Brad and daughters Poppy and Saffy joining her on a 240-kilometre cycle through India.
The fund-raiser is in support of Australian charity Forget Me Not, which seeks to prevent children being displaced from their families at a global level.
While initially a parent-only trek, Poppy and Saffy quickly jumped on board and became educated on the global issue.
Twelve-year-old Poppy said she soon realised how lucky she truly was.
“It made me extremely upset to think that kids my age can end up on the streets or worse after being separated from their families,” Poppy said.
“That is why I want to be part of the #onyabike 2017 team.”
As part of the team, the family will cycle from Fort Kochi to Trivandrum in Southern India in the hope of raising $20,000 for the construction of a Brighter Futures Study Centre in New Delhi.
The centre will provide local children with basic education before they can attend proper schooling, keeping them away from the slums and potential predators.
The Wardrop-Browns admit the challenge will be no easy feat, with the family keen athletes but amateur bike riders.
“I didn’t even have a bike until now, I’m just not a bike riding person,” 11-year old Saffy, who is a show jumping champion, said.
Despite the challenge, Saffy said she hoped to show others that every child mattered.
“With the money I raise, I look forward to helping many children to be able to stop worrying about where they are sleeping, what they will eat and hope that they are able to begin their dreams like me,” Saffy said.
The Onyabike Brighter Futures ride will take place in October.
Monetary donations to the cause can be made at http://forgetmenot.org.au/events/onyabike/ while donations of bike gear can be made direct to the Wardrop-Brown family by contacting Lucy at lucylouwb@gmail.com
