Update 25/12/06: Thank you all for being so generous.  We keep blowing away our target which is fantastic.  We are all packed and leave tonight. :o) 

Update 24/11/06: If there are any organisations interested in providing corporate sponsorship for the rickshaw on its travels through India, please email us on rickshaw@higham.co.uk

Update 22/11/06: Wow!  We are truly gobsmacked.  Thank you. We have raised the bar again. Jim thinks we should put an M3 engine in the rickshaw.  Only joking, the money will all go to the good cause and help other families out of poverty.  Thanks and please keep donating.

Update 15/11/06: Blimey we are amazed by your generosity.  Thank you, thank you.  We have raised the bar to a grand so that between us we can help the lives of more people in the North of India.

Update 11/11/06: Website live http://www.curryonrickshaw.com/

The “Curry on Rickshaw”  team are Tim Higham and Jim Rook and we are taking part in the inaugural  'Rickshaw Run' - a challenge to drive an auto rickshaw across the Indian Subcontinent from Cochin in the far South to Darjeeling in the far North near the Himalayas in just two weeks.  This task is designed to be nearly impossible and will certainly be hard especially for our increasingly tired bodies.

Two weeks, two thousand (at least) miles on questionable roads over barely passable terrain through jungles and tea fields and over the odd mountain to boot, sleeping wherever and whenever we can.  We will certainly be earning your sponsorship.

So where will the sponsorship go?

Well the life of the average Rickshaw 'Wallah' is not so good.  If he owns his own Rickshaw you can be sure he has a huge debt to pay, if he doesn't then it is likely he will hire the vehicle.  Whatever the case by the time he has paid the debt repayments or the rental for the vehicle there is very little left for a 'living'.  So the money raised will be used by Mercy Corps to buy a rickshaw and when the teams arrive in Siligury the Rickshaws will be "given to poor families and individuals in Siligury by an NGO working under the watchful eye of Mercy Corps. Giving a Rickshaw to a poor family is huge life changing gift that enables them to earn a living without ending up in impossible debt for the initial purchase". Mercy Corps will provide us with full reports on how the distribution is going and ensure everything is done in a transparent and proper fashion.  

So how much is needed?

£650 buys the Rickshaw and covers the charities costs in finding worthy recipients and this is our primary target.  We don't want to stop there though - oh no - everything after this will go directly to Mercy Corps to help fund the work they do throughout ; read more here...

http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/india/342

What happens if we don't make it, the rickshaw needs repairs or simply the rickshaw is not in a saleable condition?

If we don’t make it to Darjeeling then there are drop off points where the rickshaw will be either sold or transported to Siligury.  If the rickshaw is in a poor condition then we (Tim and Jim) will pay for the repairs.  If the rickshaw is a write off then so long as we have also not been written off too then we will pay the £650 and your contribution will be fully given to Mercy Corps.  What we are trying to say is that your money will not be funding a jolly for us but will be given to the good cause.

Check out www.rickshawrun.com for a more detailed overview of the event.

Please dig deep and sponsor us online.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Mercy Corps will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor us now! And don't forget any organisations out there who would like to sponsor the rickshaw on its travels through India, please email us on rickshaw@higham.co.uk

Many thanks for your support.