Relief Ride through Rajasthan, India

By Alexander Souri - Great Barrington, MA (August 25, 2004) Relief Riders International (RRI) announces its inaugural adventure ride through the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. Beginning on October 22, 2004, a maximum of fifteen riders will travel on horseback through rural India's unforgettable landscape delivering food, medical supplies and medical care, and goats to five remote villages. Relief Riders International offers participants not only an opportunity to see and visit places of extraordinary beauty, but the chance to make life better for the communities they visit along the way.

We have designed our fifteen day Rajasthan relief adventure ride to create meaningful interactions between our travelers and local residents. At the beginning of the journey all participants, based on their life experience and skills, will be assigned certain responsibilities: helping to organize the caravan, volunteering with the medical team, and helping to facilitate the distribution of the supplies.

According to Founder and Executive Director Alexander Souri: "Relief Riders International is designed to offer individuals not only an exhilarating journey but the chance to use their skills, enthusiasm and experience to promote positive change. I know from my own travels to Rajasthan that for every gift I have given I have received gifts that have changed my life. "

Great care has been taken to conduct a relief assessment of the region, and we have designed our program after discussions with development organizations in Rajasthan in 2003 and early 2004. Our mission addresses some critical local needs: the absence of reliable medical care and information; food supplies to counter the effects of drought; and delivery of the goats to families to create on-going sustainability, and educational materials for the local schools. Guided by Relief Riders' experienced support team, we will bring 10 to 12 camels packed with relief supplies, books, and medicine.

Relief Riders International is working with the Indian Red Cross to develop an HIV/AIDS information campaign. Red Cross personnel will travel with us, distribute educational information and hold discussions in all the villages. This is the first HIV education program in the region.

In addition, we have an extensive medical program. RRI has facilitated the funding and organization of medical camps along the journey. Working with a team of Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat specialists, we will be able to treat hundreds of villagers along the way.

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