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A very long walk for the Dalits

10:16am Thursday, 10th November 2011  

Joshua Maule

Why would anyone walk from Sydney to Melbourne? Beverley Hughes and Juni Hoel must have answered this question a lot in the last 41 days as they've walked south in high visibility shirts. Following the Princes Highway, the two women are raising money for the Dalits in India - traditionally "Untouchables" - by covering the more than 1000 kilometres between the two capital cities on foot.

Both Hughes, 32, and Hoel, 26, are Christians. The cause of the Dalits is one Hughes was inspired to raise money for when she spent two and half years as a missionary in Indian slums. Historically, under the Hindu caste system, Dalits are despised and seen as unclean by the rest of the population. While the attitude has less traction than it once did, the Dalit Freedom Network headed by Joseph D'souza reports that today "In 70% of India's villages, non-Dalits will not eat or drink with Dalits".

Hughes says, "The Dalits come into a world where they're hated, they're rejected, they're told that they're worthless, that they don't mean anything, that if they touch someone else that other person's contaminated; they're considered a curse. So for them to come to the knowledge of Christ, that's just going to change their whole mindset. They're going to know that they're valued, that they're loved."

The two women have been supported by a crew of six. A hundred percent of donated money goes to the Bridge of Hope program through Gospel For Asia which is "designed to rescue thousands of children in Asia from a life of poverty and hopelessness by giving them an education and introducing them to the love of God".

www.walkforthekids.com.au

Click the link to listen to Hughes' interview with ABC radio: http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2011/10/walk-for-the-kids.html