On the road for a cause: These women bikers to travel over 1,000 km to raise awareness

Four biker women who are members of the Dauntless Royal Explorers will travel more than 1,000 kilometres.Travelling from Kasargod to Kanyakumari, the group will raise awareness against child abuse

KOCHI:If you happen to see four biker women holding aloft the message against child abuse in your city, do not be surprised. They are on a mission, to spread awareness and engage with the public on the highly sensitive issue of child abuse.

Four bikers are set to traverse more than 1,000 km as they embark on a ride from Kasaragod to Kanyakumari creating awareness against child abuse. The team of bikers will visit major locations in seven districts in the city, engage with them and disseminate child abuse prevention messages.

The Kathua incident and the atrocities against children has prompted the members of the ‘Dauntless Royal Explorers’, the state’s first women’s Bullet club, to embark on the ride to raise awareness about the issue. The ride which begins on Sunday will have the riders visit locations where crowds congregate and raise public awareness about child abuse and exploitation.

“The aim is to draw attention to the problem, initiate talks with the public and raise awareness on the issue,” said Shyni Rajkumar who is one of the riders. The decision to initiate the ride was taken by the members of the riders’ club. The team of five embarking on the awareness campaign comprises riders Remya Pillai, Mini Thomas, Joicy Biji and Sruthi R.

“Children can be abused by anyone, at any place,” says Shyni. “Along with girls, boys also get abused, although it doesn’t get reported as much. Awareness has to start from home, starting the way we bring up our children. We intend to draw attention to all these issues.” Although the team intends to reach out to young children, the awareness campaign has been designed so as to target a multi-sector crowd. As such the riders have chosen locations where the local crowd assembles and thereby communicate with children, women and men, spreading the message about a problem which is deeply ingrained in the society.  

“The drive will be a success if we get to initiate a change in at least five out of the hundred people we meet,” says Shyni. Childline is also one of the supporters of the campaign. The campaign will start on Sunday at around 7.30 am from Municipal Stand at Thrissur, where the team will spend over half an hour interacting with the public. The ride will start from Thrissur with the next stop being Kozhikode beach, followed by Kannur and Bekal Fort at Kasargod. On Monday, the team will cover Kochi, Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram, with the final stop being Kanyakumari.