India is a vast and beautiful country, rich in cultural and environmental treasures, and its people are some of the most welcoming in the world. It also has the fourth largest, and one of the fastest growing, economies on the planet.
However, with an estimated 1.1 billion people, this wealth is not being felt by everyone. One in five people in India are undernourished and, with over 88 million people unemployed and a further 194 million living below the poverty line, this puts the country 126th on the UN Human Development Index (HDI).
These are huge numbers, certainly a mammoth challenge for everyone trying to help, and we want to do our bit. In order to support Mercy Corps and the Wildlife Trust of India, we will drive a rickshaw the length of the subcontinent before it is donated to a local family, and contribute financially to their work. See the Charities page for more details, and ways that you can support us.
As preparation, we have already completed a City & Guilds entry level mechanics course. So we're now well able to diagnose any problems (and hopefully even fix them)! And we've found a couple of places to practice our tuktuk driving skills online (have a go here). Surely there's no difference with the real things?!
Oh, and our trip is going to be carbon neutral. Our emissions will be calculated through The CarbonNeutral Company and the money donated to a sustainable energy development programme.
Sources: CIA World Factbook, HDI, FAO
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“An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment” - Sir David Attenborough
