A day after thousands ran the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, non-governmental organisations, The Hope Place and Heart Foundation, flagged off an ultra marathon, ‘2 Million Steps to Hope’, to support women’s and children’s rights.
The run began on Monday morning from the campus of Bharati Vidyapeeth, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai, and will cover more than 1,500 km. It will pass through Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and conclude on February 18 in Chennai.
Three main runners — John Moriarty from the U.S., Chris Joseph Smith from Australia, and Tharun Kumar from India — will cover an average of 50 km per day.
“Although human trafficking is often a hidden crime and accurate statistics are difficult to obtain, researchers estimate that more than 80 per cent of trafficking victims are women. The runners will be spreading awareness on this issue along the way,” said Dr. Jayakar Ellis, president, Heart Foundation.
Godfrey Fernandez of The Hope Place, said, “Our mission is not only to create awareness of the adverse effects of child abuse, labour and trafficking but also to create resources to sustain long-term rehabilitation of children through NGOs involved in rescue and rehabilitation.”
Making a difference
All the three runners have been participating in various marathons and have been practising for this event. They have been associated with The Hope Place through social activities.
“I have been running marathons for about 20 years for fun but six months seriously for this cause,” said Mr. Moriarty. “I am concerned about the epidemic of human trafficking all over the world, especially in India.”
Mr. Smith said he always had the desire to work for the betterment of humanity. “I have been doing athletic events for over 30 years for my body and mind, but now I want to dedicate this phase of my life for this heartfelt cause.” Mr. Kumar saw this as an opportunity to make a difference and create awareness.
