A group of 54 women have returned to the UK after raising £120,000 by racing 1,200km across India.
The women, who are mostly entrepreneurs, took on the rickshaw race to raise money to help fund girls' education, women’s skills training and postpartum care.
The adventure saw them race from Chennai to Goa in auto-rickshaws, testing their endurance, resilience, and teamwork.
The journey was not a luxury tour.
With no support vehicles, unpredictable roads, and the ever-present risk of mechanical failure, the team faced intense heat, breakdowns, and unfamiliar terrain.
But what stood out most was the kindness of strangers, with locals stepping in to offer help, fix engines, and share words of encouragement and teamwork.
Louise Hill, co-founder and CEO of GoHenry from Lymington, said: "The Rickshaw Rally epitomised in 1,000km the journey of an entrepreneur - it had adventure, chaos, sweaty palms, teamwork, breakdowns (technical), tears, laughter, and going the extra mile (or extra 200km in this case) to reach the end goal.
"Above all, it had the end reward of raising over £120,000 for female education charities in India.
"As a mission-based business founder, there is no greater satisfaction than seeing your work make a difference to the lives of people around you, and this rally will go down as one of my all-time favourite achievements."
Timed with International Women’s Day, the event has so far raised £120,000, with donations still coming in to support projects that empower women and girls across India.
The funds will go towards providing education for young girls, vocational training for women, and crucial postpartum care for new mothers.
The participants, many of whom are founders and business leaders used to boardrooms and financial forecasts rather than breakdowns and dirt roads, took turns navigating chaotic city traffic, rural landscapes, and stretches of open road with no clear directions.
With only basic mechanical knowledge, they learned to fix their rickshaws, negotiate with local mechanics, and rely on the camaraderie of their team.
For those who wish to support the cause, donations can still be made here: fundraising.soschildren.org.
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