Tuk-tuk India rally ‘shows what women can achieve’

Maisie Lillywhite

BBC News, Gloucestershire

Jon Smith

BBC Radio Gloucestershire

Claire Jenkins A row of about 17 colourfully decorated and painted tuk-tuks on a mown lawn in India. There are trees in the background under a bright blue sky. — The tuk-tuk challenge aims to raise money to improve healthcare and education for women and girls in India

A woman who is travelling 1,000 km across India in a tuk-tuk said bringing joy to people along the way is “quite the experience”.

Claire Jenkins from the Forest of Dean, in Gloucestershire, is part of the Sisterhood Rickshaw Rally, 60 women journeying from Chennai to Goa.

The group aims to raise £350,000 to support projects in Chennai to empower women and girls, including the construction of safe, weather-resistant classrooms.

The rally, which takes place around International Women’s Day on Saturday, is “a bold statement of what women can achieve together”, the group said.

Ms Jenkins (middle) said the team were currently in a part of India famous for biriyani, on their way to Bangalore

Claire Jenkins Three middle aged women with blonde hair in the back of a tuk-tuk. Two are wearing caps and another is wearing black-framed sunglasses with reflective orange lenses. All of them are smiling. — Ms Jenkins (middle) said the team were currently in a part of India famous for biriyani, on their way to Bangalore

Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Ms Jenkins said she had experienced her tuk-tuk breaking down but had got on the road again and was now approaching Bangalore.

“We’ve done 175 km so far, so we’re now driving through a lot more rural areas,” Ms Jenkins said.

“We’ve got 18 tuk-tuks and 60 women, which causes quite the riots. We’ve got a lot of people driving alongside us, waving, and it’s great to be able to share some joy with people.

“It’s been quite the experience.”

During the journey, which is due to finish on Wednesday, the women have kept their spirits high through “tuk-tuk-aoke”.

“We have a speaker and we sing songs all of the way, incredibly badly,” she said.

“And when our speaker ran out yesterday, we were doing primary school bangers like All Things Bright and Beautiful.”

The rally was on day three of its journey across India on Friday, travelling from Vellore to Bangalore

Claire Jenkins A tie-dye coloured tuk-tuk with lots of stickers from businesses stuck onto it. It has a yellow sign at the top that reads "009 Sisterhood 9", and is parked next to other tuk-tuks. — The rally was on day three of its journey across India on Friday, travelling from Vellore to Bangalore

The rally is made up of female entrepreneurs and has raised more than £90,000 so far.

Ladies Circle India and Round Table India identified three women and girls’ projects for the funds to be donated to.

As well as the weather-resistant classrooms, it will also go towards giving skills training to young women to allow them to achieve economic independence, and improving maternal healthcare.