Four women on Sunday kicked off a 24,000-km road trip to London in an effort to promote literacy. The four – Meenakshi Arvind of Coimbatore, her 20-year-old daughter Vrinda, Priya Rajpal from Mumbai and Mookambika Rathinam of Pollachi would cover 24 countries in 70 days to commemorate 70 years of Indian independence and also to create awareness on Rotary India’s Literacy Mission.
Vrinda was a last minute replacement for the ‘XPD 24-70’ mission as one woman Rukmani Sekhar backed out due to illness. The team will pass through Imphal, Myanmar, China, Uzbekistan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Austria and France and reach London on June 5, where they will be received at the Indian High Commission.
“To commemorate the 70th year of Independent India, we a group of four Empowered Indian Women, in association with Rotary International, undertake a record journey from Coimbatore – India to London – UK, traversing 8 time zones, 24 countries and 24000 kms, showcasing high-achiever Indian Women in the fields of Literacy, Business, Welfare, Politics, NGO, Media, Health Care, Sports and an endless list of firsts,” the women wrote on the XPD 24-70 website.
The women are using a modified Tata Hexa, with security features and a facility to store additional fuel.
State Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani flagged off the mission.
