A group of 16 of us are cycling in the foothills of the Himalaya through the villages where the Outreach clinics run by Nishtha are held. We are cycling between 25-44 miles a day, in order to raise awareness and funds for the essential work this charity does in the local area .
Please click here for our interactive route map.
About Nishtha
Nishtha is a Health & environment charity in Northern India near Dharamsala that was set up 28 years ago by an Austrian, Dr Barbara Nath-Wiser with the help of her British friend Philippa Russell. Initially the focus was on Health and a clinic is held daily, but with improved Health services in India it has become more focused the following.
- Health Education and provision & servicing of Water filters to surrounding villages.
- Environmental projects; waste disposal and waste awareness, making bricks out of plastic waste, planting trees and education about organic gardening.
- School support with extra tuition, nutrition, books, computer skills and after school activities.
- Sports facilities, managing and servicing a sports field, providing equipment including bicycles and sports days.
- Destitute fund to help people unable to afford transport to access the local hospital.
- Support for children with disabilities, providing them with necessary equipment along with transporting them daily to a local physiotherapy & support centre.
- Supporting local people to access government help.
- Sponsoring further education for teenagers
For many years Philippa and her husband ran, cultural, cycling & walking trips around Northern India through a British tour agency. So we are very excited to have her leading this trip. We are all keen hobby cyclist and are looking forward to both the cycling and discovering the culture of the area. We will need to be fit to be cycling through the Himalayan foothills so will spend the summer of 2024 training for this ride.
Many of us have spent time at Nishtha or in the Dharamsala area in the past and therefore appreciate the crucial role this organisation brings to the area.
