Ferny Creek’s Peter Jackel is calling on hills people to take part in a charity walk. 26318. Picture: Luke Plummer
By Tania Martin
PETER Jackel is going the extra mile for children living in the slums of India.
The Ferny Creek man is organising a 50-kilometre charity walk around the hills in May to raise money for India’s Dalit children.
For years Mr Jackel and his wife Samantha wanted to help the less fortunate.
He worked for Oxfam Australia before discovering aid organisation Gospel for Asia’s Bridges of Hope program.
The organisation works in the Indian-Asian region in poverty areas such as Bangladesh and Nepal.
“They do fantastic work supporting the Dalits in India,” he said.
“These people are known as the untouchables and are considered unworthy of assistance.”
The Hindu religion believes Dalits are paying for sins from past lives, even children.
“They are reduced to a life time of poverty … they don’t get access to education and live in impoverished conditions,” Mr Jackel said.
“It’s crazy … all because they are born as a Dalit.”
He said there were 350 million Dalit in India who could not access health care, education or proper living conditions.
Hearing of the plight of the Dalits, Mr Jackel travelled to India last August.
Mr Jackel said in most cases the Dalit children were sold into slavery at age five to cart bricks or pick up rubbish.
He said the bridges of hope project gave these children a chance at a real life.
“It’s building a bridge of hope for these kids to walk across,” Mr Jackel said.
He said the Bridges of Hope mission provided clean food and water, clothes, better living conditions, education, and health care.
Mr Jackel said visiting the slums in New Delhi made him realise how lucky he was to be born in Australia.
A few days before he arrived in India, a young boy died from dengue fever.
In stark contrast, Mr Jackel faced the same illness on his return to Australia, but overcame it with the right health care and medication.
He is now organising a charity walk.
All funds raised will go towards helping underprivileged children.
Teams of two or more can enter the walk and need to raise $200 before queuing up at the starting line.
Hills people are urged to dig out their runners and help raise cash for the kids.
The walk, ‘Go the Extra Mile’ will start at Jells Park in Wheelers Hill, along the Dandenong Creek Trail to the finish line in Ferny Creek.
Anyone interested in taking part should contact 0439 208 703 or log onto www.walk4charity.com.
