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This past weekend, we joined over one hundred other Enfield riders for a 100 km charity ride, to benefit the girls of the Baale Mane girl’s home in Gopalapura (“Baale Mane” actually means “girl’s home” in the Kannada language). These girls are rescued from impossible situations of indentured servitude, poverty, abusive families, and more; they are then brought here, to a safe place where they can learn, play, and become the best version of themselves. It was remarkable to meet these girls: they had such poise, dignity, common sense, and good cheer.
The weeks leading up to the event, the riders all committed to providing something for the home: a month’s worth of eggs, a set of kitchen pots and pans, clothing, hygienic products, bicycles, anything really. And we all worked to bring in donations from our own communities (special thanks to our friends in the U.S. for jumping in!!). In the end, it was a massively successful endeavor – the school was overflowing with supplies and happiness; the riders all had a great weekend, meeting new people, enjoying the fantastic Sunday sun and Bangalore countryside, and interacting with the Baale Mane girls and staff.
Maybe the most fun was when we all were climbing on our bikes to depart for home: spontaneously, the girls began to jump on the backs of the bikes for a quick loop through the nearby village. The very young girl who jumped upon my bike kept shouting, “Faster, Uncle, faster!” When I obliged her request, she changed her tune: “Slower, Uncle, slower!” In any case, the result was a spectacle to be remembered: a hundred beautiful Enfields, each with one of the young Baale Mane girls riding pillion, waving, smiling and shouting, as we paraded through the village to the astonishment of the locals :)
This event was put together by our good friends at Road Veda, really well done indeed. The event was generously co-sponsored by Opus, a really great food/drink/entertainment venue; Fastrack, an adventure gear retailer; and by everyone’s favorite Enfield maintenance shop, Mubarak’s Enfield Service Point.