Thanks for taking the time to visit our just giving page,
At the end of August we had the great pleasure of cycling along the worlds highest motorable road from Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Ladakh India. The Manali - Leh highway is a 500 km long traverse through a region of the himalayas that is so high and barren that there is no permanent habitation. The route includes five high altitude passes (with an accumulated height gain of over 7000m) the highest of which is the Taglang La pass at 5360m. Overcoming illness and serious mechanical failure we still managed to complete this ride in eight days leaving us enough time to attend a festival of Buddhist teachings by his Holiness the Dali Lama, a fitting finale to a deeply spiritual trip. We are extremely grateful for the fantastic support we have had in raising money for a wonderful charity called the Karuna trust. This money will be used to provide health care and education for the nomadic and refugee tibetan children that live within this beautiful but inhospitable region.The Karuna Trust -
More than 200 million people in South Asia suffer fear, oppression and violence because of their caste or ethnicity. They are routinely denied basic human rights including access to education, healthcare, legal protection and decent livelihoods.
Karuna trust projects promote dignity and self-confidence, and the breaking down of caste and religious barriers. Karuna is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Compassionate Action Based on Wisdom’.
Karuna is helping to set up 25 schools in the isolated mountain areas of Leh district, including the design of a locally relevant curriculum. This will provide primary education for 13,000 ethnic Tibetan children living in poverty in one of the most isolated and extreme environments in the World. Training for locals and government provides health services to 4,000 people whilst eco-tourism and indigenous crafts centres in Leh are being encouraged to support the local economy.
How you can help -
£6 - Two tribal children are provided with access to education in a supplementary school for one year
£12 - One local teacher receives a year's teacher training so s/he can give a high quality of teaching
£18 - An exposure visit for three children from a remote high-altitude village to one of the 5 resource centers with computers, laboratory and library
£39 - Running cost for one supplementary school in a remote village for one year
£61 - Providing education to 20 children in a remote village for one year
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
Please take a moment to donate if you can (as much or as little as you like) and please pass on our details to friends, family and other potential sponsors.
Thank you so much
Matt and Richard









