On June 11, 2017, I will put all my heart and soul into a 5k London colour run to raise funds for the PCRF's first paediatric cancer department in Gaza. Why? Because I believe that every child fighting cancer should have, and indisputably deserves, the right to receive all the medical treatment possible to beat this beast and survive. Unfortunately, many children in Gaza have been stripped off this basic human right to life due to Israeli military blockade that has not only turned this little piece of land into a living prison, but it has also jeopardised lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians for the sake of the Israeli political elite's nonsensical and selfish goals. 

I still remember the moment when one Ramadan evening in Ramallah refugee camp, a little boy came to me and gave me his bracelet with a Palestinian flag on it. I was close to tears to be honest, and wondered how such a teeny-weeny human being can have such a huge, loving, unselfish and warm heart, when I knew so many adults whose heart was colder than ice. Nowadays, I no longer wonder as I've learnt that child's innocent heart is probably the only heart capable of pure and unconditional love. 

It will soon be two years since that summer in 2015, the colours of the bracelet have nearly faded away, but I still proudly wear it, and cherish it the same way as I will always cherish my love for Palestine.

If I could have one wish that would come true, I would have wished for all the Palestinian children, be they from a refugee camp, or not, to be able to enjoy their full rights and freedoms. To never experience the suffering many of them have been through. To constantly smile and live in full all the tiny joys of their childhood, instead of living the miseries of war. I would have also wished for them to have access to health care and mental counselling in the same way that we do. Sadly, it takes a lot more than my wish to deliver all the above, but I am convinced that this fundraising venture is at least a good start.

Hence, I've decided to set the fundraising target at $2,000 (roughly £1,500), which you may think is a bit ambitious since it’s not a marathon, neither a half-marathon, but “a mere” 5k run. But, with my slightly (or more than slightly) "wrecked" knee that never fully recovered from the injury I had four years ago, even a 5k run without occasional stopping and at a decent pace gets incredibly painful. Nonetheless, I've told myself that if I am to screw up my knee again, let it at least be for a good, or rather the best cause possible, which the fundraising on behalf of PCRF’s project to build the first paediatric cancer department in Gaza undoubtedly is.

Plus, they often say – change your mind set, and it will change your life – and once I truly set my mind on something, I try to squeeze the best out of me and succeed. Having said that, not only do I wish to progress in one month from “currently not being able to run 5k in one go” to “finish the race gracefully without stopping”, but I also wish to at least hit close to the 25-min mark. Or, in case a miracle was about to happen (as it sometimes does), I would not even mind going back to my 20-min-5k performance from those old running times. Oh, and I nearly forgot that the run is half-way through Ramadan, and since I have also decided to observe Ramadan and fast this year, the challenge will actually be double. 

Any contribution (be it a fiver or a tenner, or slightly more) in support of the PCRF's wonderful work (and my personal running struggle), will indeed be very much appreciated. All it takes is to skip a pint of beer with friends on Friday night, or miss out on one London-priced dinner, to make a huge change in Palestinian children's lives. So, how does that sound? You're on board? 

A huge 'thank you' goes to each and everyone of you who has visited this page, read through all the text up until the end, and decided to spread the word or contribute to this effort.

Zuz 

The PCRF is pleased to announce the launching of a new project to build Gaza’s first and only public pediatric oncology/hematology department at the Pediatric Specialized Hospital in Gaza City.  Hundreds of children in Gaza suffer from many different forms of cancer and suffer not only from the disease, but the restrictions on their movement for treatment outside of Gaza due to the Israeli and Egyptian-imposed sieges, as well as a lack of medicine and services within Gaza.  Our goal is to emulate the building of the Huda Al Masri Pediatric Cancer Dept. in Beit Jala Hospital, which we built and opened in April, 2013, and is now a center of excellence for children in the West Bank.   This is a completely privately funded project that will not only save the lives of children in Gaza and reduce their hardship and the suffering of their families, but also save millions of dollars a year for the Ministry of Health, who are referring patients outside for care that should be available locally.  We ask you to join in this effort to support our effort to show love and compassion for our children in Gaza.