Event: Rickshaw Run Location: India & Nepal Mode of Transport: Rickshaw Duration: 3 weeks in January 2008 Distance to travel: 2,500 miles from Kochi to Kathmandu Aim: To support the work of Mercy Corps in India. Why: With 1/4 of the population of India living below the poverty line, we feel that a sustainable form of income and good health is essential for everyone, and we want to help people in India achieve this. Mercy Corps, a 2007 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, works with local communities and NGOs to develop much needed programmes, as identified by the community. These include water and sanitation awareness to reduce the rate of waterborne disease, and providing youths, who have long been isolated from schools and training opportunities, with vocational training opportunities and engaging them in planning and participation in community projects. Through our work in conservation, we understand the need to provide long-term sustainable incomes for individuals and communities. And access to clean water should not be a privilege, but a right for all. We feel that Mercy Corps is an extremely worthy cause whose aims are ones that we both feel passionate about. The challenge will be both mentally and physically tough: travelling huge distances at a slow speed over a wide variety of difficult and unrelenting terrain. But what a great way to get to know India! We are looking forward to meeting people on the way and gaining an insight into the life within rural and urban areas across the entire country. As an extra incentive, we're holding a prize raffle. For every £15 donated, we'll put a ticket in the hat with your name on it. So, with a £30 donation we'll put in 2, and so on... Up for grabs are: 1) Luxury guided punting tour of Cambridge! 2) Dinner at the ultra-exclusive Argyle Street Bistro. It's all about who you know to get in here... 3) A mounted and framed print of your choice from our trip (and there'll be thousands to choose from)! 4) A secret prize! Yet to be revealed... Thank you for visiting our fundraising page and for your kind donations. For more information, please visit our website at www.discoveringearth.com .
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