The Dirty Wall Project

All our tours or rather expeditions are about experiencing new lands and cultures, pushing one’s limits, getting out from our own defined world. But once in a while something else happens that transforms us into another reality and touches us in a way which we did not expect. Today in Mumbai was such a day, at least for me. We are in Mumbai for 36 or 38 hours and for those of us who are here for the first time, this time limit is simply a tease. With such a time limit, what is one to do? This is one hell of mega city, filled up with old and new architecture, art, culture, cuisine, street life and 18 million stories. Today some of us touched at least 42 of those stories.

Our company has a Foundation that in a small scale tries to do something good, something small in countries through which we travel. On the Indian Adventure we have one remarkable young woman, Morgan, who had a spine injury several years ago, and now is riding with us, to raise awareness, for an adventure, for a challenge and probably many other reasons. Before the tour started Morgan made contact with a small Canadian charity called  The Dirty Wall Project  that has undertaken to create a space for a playground, an area for community celebrations in one of Mumbai’s slums.

At some point Morgan decided to donate two hand cycles for a couple of handicapped individuals in the community. These hand cycles have the potential to transform individual lives. It gives them the ability to move, to expand their horizons, to improve their quality of their lives. Our Foundation decided that this was a good idea and we added another 40 hand cycles.

With the limitation of time, and the distance to travel, I was not keen to spend several hours to see 42 cycles donated. But sometimes just watching a simple ceremony in one the most famous slums in the world has more of an impact than seeing the most beautiful building in Mumbai. To see the smiles of little children as we make our way through the slum, to see two teams of uniformed cricket players playing on a field that was a garbage dump not too long ago, to see 42 individuals eager to put their hands on a new bicycle was more stimulating and rewarding than any other way I could have spent my time in this city.

And though I started this blog stating that our Foundation has today touched the lives of 42 individuals, the more honest truth is that today 42 individuals have touched my life.