Cycling4Gaza is an initiative founded by a group of determined and passionate young people in the wake of the 2009 war on Gaza. Its mission is to raise awareness about the on-going blockade on the Gaza Strip and to raise critical funds for carefully selected non-profit organisations that work to support Palestinians living under occupation and as refugees through education and healthcare. Cycling4Gaza provides a unique method to connect with Palestine through annual cycling challenges and various community awareness events and activities.
For detailed information on fundraising history and for visual accounts of each of the challenges, please click here.
Unicef estimates 373,000 children in Gaza are in desperate need of psycho-social support. However, given the continuous strain on health resources, mental health issues are often sidelined, leaving thousands of children without appropriate medical attention to heal their traumas and mental scars. If you would like to understand more about mental health trauma please click here.
In an effort to raise awareness and much needed funds, Cycling4Gaza #C4G2015 will support the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund newly launched Pediatric Mental Health Project in Gaza. The goal is to assess children’s needs, provide them the service they require, and train social workers in Gaza on the topic. We are dedicated to raise 286,000 USD to support the launch and running of the project for a year. In an effort to do so, 45 cyclists from all over the globe will be cycling 300km over 3 days from Alkmaar to the Hague, Netherlands on the 23rd of July.
To date, social workers have received extensive training on administering the two screening questionnaires prepared by the medical professionals assigned by the PCRF. Over 1,300 children have been screened by 5 field workers to date and their subsequent care program is currently being developed.
The project details are as follows:
1. Gaza Mental Health Screening
- Data analysis using SPSS software
- Submitting Publications— academic journals and media outlets to increase international awareness for the current situation
- Short video production to be utilized in presentations
2. Providing Clinical Services for Affected Children
- Provide immediate treatment for the 10% most significantly impacted children which have already been identified (120 children which fulfil criteria for PTSD)
- Partner with local organizations to provide the required medical services and treatment
- Increase coordination of care between the PCRF social workers and local mental health providers
- Develop the capacity within PCRF to provide basic therapeutic support through hiring clinical social workers with mental health experience
- Develop group interventions for parents of moderately to severely affected children
3. Developing and Providing Education and Training for Personnel in Gaza
- Recruit volunteers to assist in training of staff social workers monthly to bi-monthly on topics pertaining to mental health
- Bring in training teams of clinician; psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists to train local staff and partnering organizations
4. Further Program Development
- Develop and initiate group interventions designed to provide a therapeutic outlet for children
- Develop and initiate group interventions designed to provide psychoeducation and processing outlet for parents
- Build therapeutic playgrounds in collaboration with Playgrounds for Palestine to create safe and happy environments for the children to recover and reintegrate into society
The Gaza Mental Health Project is committed to identifying and treating children in Gaza in need of mental health care. Furthermore, the project aims to highlight the importance of addressing mental health care as a vital aspect of maintaining a normal and happy life, specifically in traumatic environments. This project will help transform the provision of mental health care in Gaza, in turn providing children with hope for a bright future.
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 |
| Alya Alhamad | 12/21/2015 | $55.00 | Ahmad Diab Jersey | 12/18/2015 | $100.00 | Manal Alsharif | 12/15/2015 | $430.00 | Jerseys | Anonymous Friend | 12/15/2015 | $120.00 | Love the Jerseys! | Deena LaRocca | 11/06/2015 | $20.00 | Anonymous Friend | 11/06/2015 | $250.00 | Anonymous Friend | 10/17/2015 | $100.00 | Keep up the fantastic and important work! | Annie Robbins | 10/17/2015 | $25.00 | Kate Turney | 09/01/2015 | $50.00 | Better late than never. Congratulations Sara Amighi and all of you! Great effort! | Anonymous Friend | 08/06/2015 | $270.00 | Paul Ingram | 08/05/2015 | $80.00 | Inspired by Mutussam Abu Karash and Adham Albalboul. Palestinian youth in the Netherlands inspiring a Canadian to give. That's what a global community is about! | Anonymous Friend | 08/04/2015 | $250.00 | Dan Snow | 08/03/2015 | $200.00 | ADNAN ABUSHARAR | 07/31/2015 | $1,000.00 | Joumana Al Jabri | 07/28/2015 | $70.00 | Persistence. | Nahla Murad | 07/27/2015 | $300.00 | Anonymous Friend | 07/26/2015 | $20.00 | Anonymous Friend | 07/26/2015 | $200.00 | Anonymous Friend | 07/26/2015 | $20.00 | The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing... Save Gaza ♡ | Anonymous Friend | 07/26/2015 | $30.00 | Mariana Petiet | 07/26/2015 | $10.00 | Titia Positano | 07/26/2015 | $20.00 | For all the people who is suffering FREE PALESTINA | Anonymous Friend | 07/26/2015 | $100.00 | Noor Al Radi | 07/26/2015 | $50.00 | I have no doubt that this has already set in motion the change we hope to see. | Anonymous Friend | 07/25/2015 | $10.00 | Anonymous Friend | 07/24/2015 | $200.00 | You will need some more marketing for this task, may be using services (free) of a marketing specialist. | Anonymous Friend | 07/24/2015 | $40.00 | Randa Alic | 07/24/2015 | $20.00 | For the children in Palestine | Anonymous Friend | 07/24/2015 | $50.00 | Great effort, great initiative | Anonymous Friend | 07/22/2015 | $675.00 | Ahmad Shehada | 07/22/2015 | $770.00 | Achraf El Johari | 07/22/2015 | $5.00 | Karen Platt | 07/21/2015 | $30.00 | This is a small donation, but I wanted to be part of your efforts Cycling4Gaza. Thank you so much!!! | Anonymous Friend | 07/21/2015 | $1,000.00 | Keep up the awesome work! love you guys | Giuliano Chianelli | 07/21/2015 | $30.00 | Free Gaza | Anonymous Friend | 07/21/2015 | $300.00 | Nadia Saba | 07/20/2015 | $30.00 | Keep it up you're wonderful. Thank you. | David Judah | 07/20/2015 | $20.00 | Fantastic work! Thanks for everything you do | Rula Hamed | 07/16/2015 | $5,000.00 | Mahmoud Dabdoub | 07/13/2015 | $800.00 | Anonymous Friend | 07/12/2015 | $10.00 | Dina Ghandour | 07/07/2015 | $50.00 | Love you guys, keep the awesome work up! | Anonymous Friend | 07/03/2015 | $300.00 | Miral Alaraj | 07/02/2015 | $750.00 | REG Fee | Serene Xefos | 06/23/2015 | $2,900.00 | C4G Support! | Salwa Abu-Wardeh | 06/12/2015 | $300.00 | Reg Fee C4G2015 | Aziza Osman | 06/10/2015 | $780.00 | C4G support! | JC Desaintfuscien | 06/09/2015 | $300.00 | C4G Registration Fee | Adnan Abusharar | 05/27/2015 | $450.00 | Kareem Salman | 04/28/2015 | $300.00 | C4G Registraton Fee | Dina Dajani | 04/22/2015 | $740.00 | C4G 2015 Registration Fees! | Anonymous Friend | 04/22/2015 | $1,000.00 | #C4G2015 here we come! Fees for ZH/NH | Haifa Beseisso | 04/19/2015 | $300.00 | Deposit Part 2 | Gwyneth Daniel | 04/15/2015 | $740.00 | This is my registration fee for the ride which I wish to meet myself and not out of fundraising. | Karen Partridge | 04/14/2015 | $450.00 | Remaining fee for cycling4gaza 2015 | Roula C | 04/14/2015 | $440.00 | Alia Mobayed | 04/14/2015 | $740.00 | Registration for C4G 2015 :) | Salwa Abu-Wardeh | 04/13/2015 | $500.00 | Reg Fee | Rama Ishaq | 04/12/2015 | $900.00 | remianing registration fees for Rama and Muna | Miral Alaraj | 04/12/2015 | $900.00 | Reg fees x 3 | Nadeem Alsalem | 04/10/2015 | $300.00 | #C4G registration fee | Karen Partridge | 04/07/2015 | $300.00 | Registration fee for cycling4gaza2015 | Zeena and Steve Sosebee | 04/02/2015 | $300.00 | C4G registration fee! | Shaun Rabah | 03/31/2015 | $300.00 | C4G Registration Fee | Zeena and Steve Sosebee | 03/31/2015 | $600.00 | This is the registration fee for Deema and myself. | Bader Ataya | 03/30/2015 | $300.00 | This is to confirm my participation in the Cycling trip | Fatima Al Silwadi | 03/30/2015 | $300.00 | Leila Khatib | 03/30/2015 | $300.00 | C4G Registration Fee | Nadine Habayeb Bader Ataya | 03/29/2015 | $300.00 | C4G 2015 Registration! | Tala Qaraeen | 03/28/2015 | $300.00 | C4G2015 Registration Fees...Let's do this :) | Rasha Ismail | 03/27/2015 | $300.00 | C4G | Karen Chaaban | 03/25/2015 | $300.00 | C4G Registration Fees | Roula C | 03/25/2015 | $300.00 | C4G Registration | Mohamed A | 03/24/2015 | $300.00 | C4G Registration | Rama Ishaq | 03/24/2015 | $300.00 | registration fees for Cycling4Gaza | Salim Kopti | 03/24/2015 | $300.00 | registration fees for cycling4gaza | Bahar Hashemi | 03/24/2015 | $300.00 | C4G 2015 Registration | Shahrazad Saadeh | 03/23/2015 | $300.00 | C4G Deposite | Leen Qablawi | 03/23/2015 | $300.00 | C4G 2015 registration | Haifa Beseisso | 03/22/2015 | $300.00 | C4G 2015 registration fee:D | Zein Ayoub Nimri | 03/22/2015 | $300.00 | Donation for the Mental Health project in Gaza | Tamara Khoury | 03/22/2015 | $300.00 | C4G registration fee :) | Nour EL La | 03/22/2015 | $300.00 | #C4G 2015 registration fee | Team Palestine For PCRF Jordan | 03/21/2015 | $300.00 | Deposit for "Cycle 4 Gaza" 2015 event. | Adnan Abusharar | 03/19/2015 | $300.00 | Sara Amighi | 03/19/2015 | $600.00 | Sara Amighi & Yasmine Saade - Registration Fee | Nabeel Rauf | 03/18/2015 | $300.00 | C4G :) | Lina Abou Chaaban | 03/17/2015 | $300.00 | #C4G registration fee! |
| Total | $34,600.00 | ||