Back in November 2024, as I'm sure many of you will remember, we held a fundraiser at Bush Hall in London, where, through our very generous clients, we raised an incredible £100,000 for the Wild Frontiers Foundation - £30,000 of which was ring-fenced for the women’s rickshaw projects.

And now, 18 months on, I have come to Agra to see it in action and to meet some of the driver/guides that are bringing this wonderful experience to tourists and, in the process, gaining employment through tourism.

And goodness, what a morning we had. Despite the jetlag and early start – I only arrived in India yesterday – and the ferocious 40-degree heat, Raishma, Lata and Miltha took me on a journey around this city to places I had never seen before.

We cruised through the flower market and stopped at their favourite chai stall, a place that started serving tea over 70 years ago. We crossed the Yamuna River to visit the exquisite Itmad-ud-Daulah’s tomb, also known as the Baby Taj, and the 17th-century Chini Ka Rausa Persian-style tomb. We drove into a field on the far bank from which the views of the city's most famous building were superb. And then finally we stopped for a lunch of channa masala and giant puri breads at one of the more reputable street vendors. It was great to get off the main tourist trail and gain an authentic glimpse of this busy location.

The Wild Frontiers Foundation funded the setup and capital costs of this initiative, including community engagement, the design and manufacture of an initial set of custom-built electric rickshaws, and a comprehensive training programme for 25 women from underserved communities to work as driver-guides. Each of my guides told me they were delighted to be working in this way, each saying the income the employment provided had, among other things, helped them to give their children a better education.

When we first got involved with the Pink City Rickshaws in Jaipur, we saw at once what a great initiative this was, providing a dignified economic opportunity for the driver-guides, reducing pollution in busy towns, and giving travellers a great experience. And to see it now rolled out in Agra is fantastic.

If you’d like to help in this initiative, or any of the projects financed and run by the Wild Frontiers Foundation, please follow this link…

And remember, every little helps.