Dear family and friends,
I’m super excited to join the Cycling4Gaza (C4G) team this July on a 300 KM cycling journey over 3 days in the Netherlands (starting in Alkmaar and ending in The Hague). Our goal is to raise awareness and funds for the Pediatric Mental Health Project in Gaza - a Palestine Children’s Relief Fund program dedicated to identifying and treating children in urgent need of mental health care.
Why am I accepting this challenge? Simply because it combines my two passions – helping people and being active! It is definitely going to be challenging in so many ways, but I am sure that with lots of dedication and training, along with your support and generosity, together we can all make an impact!!!
Fact: In Gaza, UNICEF estimates 373,000 children are in desperate need of psycho-social support, as a result of extreme levels of stress, trauma and anxiety.
So let’s support this amazing project and help the children cope and recover!!! It only takes a couple of minutes (…and a couple of bucks :)) to make a BIG difference!!!! Every little bit counts!!!
I am grateful and thankful in advance for your contributions, and for extending your support through my efforts!! Please see details below:
So what is C4G?
It’s an intiative that was founded in 2009, in the wake of the war on Gaza. Its mission is to raise awareness about the blockade on the Gaza Strip and to raise funds for non-profit organisations that work to support Palestinians through education and healthcare.
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The way it’s done is through bringing together people from all over the world each year to take on a cycling challenge in a collective effort to raise awareness and funds. This year‘s challenge includes the 300 km cycling journey and raising a total of USD $286,000 to support Palestine Children’s Relief Fund’s newly launched Pediatric Mental Health Project.
… and why should we support the Pediatric Mental Health Project?
Mental issues affect us all, particularly children in armed conflict. This project aims to assess children's mental health needs, provide appropriate services, and increase awareness on the current situation in the Gaza Strip.
What's great about this project is that it's not only about giving money. It's about investing in a sustainable project to help transform communities through capacity building and training local staff on mental health issues. I truly believe that this is the key to making a difference, and I am very excited to be part of something that aims to offer support, instill a sense of hope, and empower Palestinians to recover from the decades of trauma and war wounds they have endured.
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Finally, why the Netherlands?
This year, Palestine has become a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that sits in the Hague, Netherlands. This means that last summer’s 50 day military offensive on the Gaza Strip will be subject to human rights crimes investigations!!!
To find out more about the situation in Gaza, The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, the Pediatric Mental Health Project or C4G, please visit: www.cycling4gaza.com
The PCRF is a non-profit organization that predominantly provides medical relief for children under Israeli military occupation. It is the main organization in the region that sends injured children abroad for free medical care and brings in expert volunteer surgery teams to provide medical care and training for local medical personnel. Over 1,000 children have been sent to the US for free medical care and over 10,000 children have received local medical care from visiting surgery teams.
The 2014 war on Gaza left thousands of children injured not only physically but also psychologically. Today, approximately 373,000 children in Gaza suffer from emotional and psychological trauma and are in dire need of mental care support and reintegration into society.
The objective of the Gaza Mental Health Project is to assess children’s needs, provide them the service they require and to train social workers on administering screening questionnaires. Over 1,300 children have been screened by 5 field workers to date and their subsequent programs are currently being developed.
| Supporters | |||
| Name | Date | Amount | Comments |
| Anonymous Friend | 07/24/2015 | $100.00 | Good luck! | Nausheen Lal | 07/22/2015 | $25.00 | Good luck Dina! Xxxx | H H | 07/22/2015 | $75.00 | Good Luck Dajani! | Ziad Farah | 07/21/2015 | $50.00 | Go Dina!!! | Anonymous Friend | 07/21/2015 | $200.00 | Ghazal Jabr | 07/21/2015 | $300.00 | bravoooooo dina so so proud of you!! | H S | 07/21/2015 | $200.00 | Good luck!!! | Ali Dajani | 07/18/2015 | $100.00 | Amazing Dina!!! | Amir Majali | 07/14/2015 | $200.00 | Cause I thought you were Amal. Good luck D!! | Anne Harrison | 07/14/2015 | $100.00 | Well done Gwyn, a great effort for a worthy cause. (Supporting Gwyneth Daniel) | Anonymous Friend | 07/13/2015 | $100.00 | Great Job! | Mazen Dajani | 07/12/2015 | $1,000.00 | Dear Dina, proud of you, we all are. Go ahead and participate in this worthy cause. God bless always. LOVE | Rasha Touma | 06/27/2015 | $100.00 | Go dina!!! | HASHEM SABBAGH | 06/26/2015 | $50.00 | Lara Dajani | 06/25/2015 | $100.00 | Best of luck Dina!! | Sanaa Ahmad | 06/24/2015 | $200.00 | Good luck Dajani and to everyone else cycling for this amazing cause! | Muna Lutter | 06/24/2015 | $100.00 | GO DAJANI! Great cause!xx | Marty Haddadin | 05/29/2015 | $300.00 | Good luck habibti! Very good cause and love you. | Serene Shalan | 05/26/2015 | $200.00 | You inspire us! Good luck my love! | Yanis Dana | 05/23/2015 | $100.00 | Luma Qadoumi | 05/18/2015 | $200.00 | So proud of you DIGGY!! Will be cheering for you! Peace and love to Gaza. | Fares Nimri | 05/18/2015 | $25.00 | Good luck dina! | Amal Ayoub | 05/17/2015 | $300.00 | ❤️ | Kareem & Zein Zureikat | 05/15/2015 | $1,000.00 | Great cause! Best of luck. We will be thinking of you while you cycle away. Love you loads xxx | Ladak Family | 05/11/2015 | $250.00 | Go DAJANI!! We are all cheering for you and very proud of you!!!! | Mazen Dajani | 05/10/2015 | $100.00 | Dina, Dukhkan family are proud of you.Love | Maral Sivzattian | 05/09/2015 | $150.00 | Omar Maayeh | 05/09/2015 | $200.00 | Legend | Rima Kanaan | 05/04/2015 | $200.00 | so proud of you, if every person could do something to give back- the world would be a much better place!! | Taleen Khachwajian | 04/30/2015 | $50.00 | U make us very proud Dina , I admire your dedication .Good luck and enjoy the race xxx | Zeina Rifai | 04/30/2015 | $100.00 | Bravo Dina :) Proud of you Dajan good luck!! xx | Mariam Soliman | 04/29/2015 | $150.00 | Go Dajani!, yalla im gonna help you train! | Mazen Dajani | 04/27/2015 | $300.00 | From Lama Sarraf to Dina Dajani Best of luck, Dina | Abeer & Aoun Shashaa | 04/27/2015 | $300.00 | Hana Shashaa | 04/27/2015 | $100.00 | You make us proud! Good luck!! xxx | Mariam Jaajaa | 04/26/2015 | $100.00 | So proud dajan!! | Manaf Al Hamad | 04/26/2015 | $700.00 | Iman Albitar | 04/25/2015 | $100.00 | Good luck Dina | Mazen Dajani | 04/25/2015 | $2,000.00 | Nathalie Hany (Le Vendome) | 04/24/2015 | $50.00 | So proud of you Dina!! Hoping that this initiative will help those restless kids and turn all eyes to Gaza in hopes that this conflict finally comes to an end. It is their right to live like children and we have to support them by any mean ....courage | Samer Dajani | 04/24/2015 | $150.00 | Go Dina! I have the coolest auntie! Wish I could go with you but I'm too small :( | Jamil&nathalie Fadel | 04/24/2015 | $100.00 | كلنا غزة ... كلنا أطفالها يتناثرون باجسامهم الطرية في ارضها ....ذنبهم انهم أطفال غزة ومن اجلهم العجلات ستتحرك داعمة في عواصم العالم ....دينا ليس غريبا عليك هذا التضامن .... من دنيا الأصالة خرجت ... قلبك الكبير هو قلب أمك وبك نكبر ونفخر . جميل فاضل | Haya Dajani | 04/24/2015 | $50.00 | You're awesome!!! xxxx | Michelle Bekhazi | 04/23/2015 | $50.00 | Proud of you Dina!! | Alya Alhamad | 04/23/2015 | $500.00 | Adonis Chami | 04/23/2015 | $300.00 | Pride of South Ridge :) | Mazen Dajani | 04/23/2015 | $1,100.00 | Nasma Barghouthi | 04/23/2015 | $150.00 | We are so proud of you! Best of luck :) | Anonymous Friend | 04/22/2015 | $2,500.00 | Amazing initiative. Good luck! Great work Dina. | Feras Rayyan | 04/22/2015 | $50.00 | Best of luck dina! | Eyad Samhouri | 04/22/2015 | $50.00 | Good luck abu Dijani✌ | Sami Salti | 04/22/2015 | $50.00 | Go Dajani Go!!!! | Serene Farah | 04/22/2015 | $50.00 | Proud of you Dina! Good luck xx | Mazen Masri | 04/22/2015 | $50.00 | Great Initiative. Good luck! |
| Total | $15,125.00 | ||