The 108 self-funded participants will be travelling from Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh to Kutch in Gurjarat in 36 Rickshaws to raise funds and awareness for cleft and palate treatment for young children.
To donate or find out more about the event follow this link: https://www.sewauk.org/campaignDetails/Rickshaw_Run/Dina_Rickshaw_Run
The charity this year will be supporting the refurbishment of a dental unit in Arogyadham in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. It has offered free or affordable cleft and palate surgery to 500 surrounding villages.
The event will take place between the 10 and 23 December and aims to raise £500,000.
The funding will go towards buying new X-Ray machines and diagnostic equipment, new operating theatres and tables, updated wards and pathology laboratory as well as new ultrasound, furniture and washroom facilities.
Bhudia participated for the event for the first time in 2019 and was chosen from over 300 registered candidates during the application process.
She said: “The reason I got involved is to give every child a voice, basically. Historically, when I did the rickshaw run the first time it was supporting cochlear implants to allow people to hear, which in turn helped them to speak.
“Throughout the years it is about the freedom of speech and if a child doesn’t have that ability, then there is just no way forward.”
Bhudia continued that the run also involved visiting a few charity projects along the way, which she said was very rewarding to see how the fundraising lead to more growth and progress within the communities.
“The money is empowering the family to move on with their life, so that little girl that we give a voice to…she’s then gone into education, she could be the breadwinner of that family. You are leaving huge legacies…it’s not just one stop and that’s it,” Bhudia noted.
She said that the event itself was intense, getting up early in the morning and driving for long periods over long distances but the participants became a “family unit” and it was a “phenomenal way to see the country”.
