Teens travel India in a rickshaw for charity (From Harrow Times)

Teens travel India in a rickshaw for charity

5:00pm Wednesday 14th March 2012 in News By Anna Slater

A teenager will spend two weeks travelling around India in a rickshaw, to raise money for charity.

Bhavik Haria, of Uppingham Avenue, Stanmore, will jet off on Sunday to raise money for CAREducation, with nine of his pals. The charity helps support people in developing countries.

The “rickshawalas,” have already raised £11,000 by holding fundraisers, which will go towards raising money for the Himalayan Buddhist Cultural School, in Manali, but they hope to raise a total of £30,000.

The 19-year-old said: “I’ve wanted to do a crazy adventure for so long, and this really is the trip of a lifetime.

“The fact that we are raising so much money for charity is a bonus. I’m not nervous about the trip, I’m just excited because we’ve been waiting ages for this to come around, and it’s finally here. I’m absolutely buzzing and can’t wait to get on that plane.”

Their adventure will see them drive an auto-rickshaw, one of the most popular forms of transport in India, from Gujarat, through the deserts of Rajasthan and the farmlands of Punjab, and then up to the Himalayas to Manali.

A CAREducation worker, Ramesh, who owns a rickshaw, has spent the last few months showing them the ropes.

The full-time photographer will be travelling around the country with friends, Nirav, Janvi, Kushal, Aarti, Nishil. Bharat Solanki, a Trustee of CAREducation Trust, said: “We have been supporting schools for over 12 years, but we have never known such creativity and courage that these young members are showing.

“They are an inspiration to us and our future. They will change the lives of the people they touch indefinitely.”