Mulwala’s Gabrielle Dowling at the Lotus Children’s Centre she founded in Mongolia 30 years ago. Now she’s riding between London and Mongolia to raise much-needed funds to keep the centre going.
When Gabrielle Dowling started teaching yoga in Mongolia, she never imagined 30 years later she’d still be there preparing to ride a bicycle across the mountaintops of Eurasia in aide of child welfare.
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Gabrielle, or Didi Kalika (going by her yoga name), left the family farm in Mulwala in 1995 for the northern slopes of Gachuurt, Mongolia, near the Russian border.
Once there she founded Lotus Children’s Centre to provide food, shelter, and education to orphaned and vulnerable children.
“Those kids are my life,” Didi said.
“Making sure they’re ok is the most important thing for me.”
All hands on deck to grow food for the Lotus Children’s Centre in Mongolia.
Now, at 66 years old, she’s preparing for the bicycle ride of a lifetime, riding between London and Mongolia to raise awareness about Lotus and much needed funds to continue providing care.
Didi’s epic bike trek starts in April and will be completed in two stages.
The first leg sees her ride from London to Istanbul.
After a break over the summer holidays, spending time with the kids at Lotus, she will journey west from Mongolia to Istanbul to complete the second leg.
Some of the older boys from Lotus may even join her.
“I imagine there will be lots of time for quiet thought and contemplation,” she said.
“There are some beautiful countries to see, and I’m looking forward to meeting all the beautiful people along the way.”
Just some of the many children and carers that have come through the Lotus Children's Centre, thanks to Didi's commitment. She is pictured far right.
Kerrie Pimm, a spokesperson for the Ride for Lotus, said Didi had originally gone to Mongolia to teach yoga.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia withdrew its presence from Mongolia after the 1990 democratic revolution led to a new constitution in 1992, taking much of its resources with it.
Things like government, education and health had been looked after by the Soviets during their control of Mongolia and the country was in disarray when Didi got there.
The Lotus Children’s Centre has provided a safe home and education for children who would otherwise be living on the streets in Mongolia.
“Didi would be out jogging in the mornings, and these kids would start following her,” Kerri said.
“She started noticing they had cuts and sores that weren’t healing, heads full of lice, and they just weren't going home; they were sleeping in doorways.
“She started caring for these kids who were hungry and had no one to look after them.
“Now she's been there 30 years, and there's been hundreds of kids who’ve been through Lotus that have been given a good life and a good education.
“There’s lots of love and care coming through Lotus.”
More information about the Lotus Children’s Centre and Didi’s ride for Lotus will be available on their website, lotuschild.info, when it relaunches soon.
Those wishing to support Lotus and Didi on her ride will be able to donate directly to the children’s centre.
