In December 2023, I will be embarking on a crazy adventure along with 107 other participants where I will be driving a rickshaw (tuk-tuk) across 4 different states in India, covering 2000km over the course of 12 days. Driving a rickshaw in India is no easy feat so why have I decided to participate in such a challenge?

1) The Cause: Can you imagine being born with a defect that means there is a gap in the roof of your mouth? Over 35,000 children are born with such a defect annually in India alone. Known as cleft, this defect significantly impacts a child's ability to eat and speak as normal (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cleft-lip-and-palate/). Through participating in the challenge, I aim to raise funds which will contribute towards the refurbishment of a dental unit in India that provides free or very affordable cleft and palate surgeries to patients across 500 villages in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The funds will allow the purchase of new medical equipment which is desperately required to allow the facility to continue carrying out surgeries safely and effectively.

2) The Charity - The Rickshaw Run is an initiative run by Sewa UK. Sewa is a Hindu concept which roughly translates to selfless service. What makes the charity unique is that it is 100% volunteer run, meaning that all funds raised will go directly to the cause without any admin costs.

3) The Challenge - By driving from Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh) to Kutch (Gujarat) in a group of 36 rickshaws, I aim to raise awareness of the charity and the cause, which will transform the lives of many more children suffering from defects that are curable and also improve access to health care facilities for those who can not afford it.

As a collective we are aiming to raise £500k but this will not be possible without your support - any donation big or small is extremely appreciated.

'Our true wealth is not measured by how much we earn but by how much we give' - I hope you will support me in raising funds for this wonderful cause. My heartfelt thank you in advance.