Physical Health Palestine Project #55935

Big Ride 2022: Cycling for Children in Palestine

by Middle East Children's Alliance

Project Report | Nov 28, 2022
Rides for Palestine in UK & Gaza!

By Josina Shields-Stromsness | MECA Program Director

Children in Gaza join a solidarity ride on July 29

While hundreds of cyclists took to the streets for this year's Big Ride for Palestine from Derby to Manchester, children in Gaza also hopped on their bikes in a sister ride.

These rides were organized in Khuza'a and Beit Lahia where funds from The Big Ride for Palestine has enabled MECA to build beautiful cycling tracks, purchase bikes, and offer cycling lessons for children and youth, especially girls.

Here is what some of the participants in Gaza had to say:

“Thank you to The Big Ride for giving a chance for children and women in our marginalized village the space to practice sports and cycling by fixing our football field and building this track.”

-Siwar

"One of the dreams of girls in the Gaza Strip is to play sports and ride bicycles, but they can't do that because there is no place for them.

We are now in Beit Lahia which is a marginalized area in northern Gaza. Through the funding from The Big Ride, we were able to make a football field and cycling track. Last year, we built a full playground in Khuza’a funded through donations from The Big Ride. Khuza’a is considered one of the most marginalized areas in Gaza Strip.

Your support has returned hope to thousands of marginalized Palestinian girls and children who are deprived of many of their rights, including the right to play and exercise.

All the love, respect and appreciation for this inspiring team—The Big Ride team—who is fighting for us. It is enough for us to feel that there are people on the other side of the world who are in solidarity with us and want to help us. Your solidarity and support gives us a positive feeling and recognizes that we are not numbers, we are a human beings like any other human being in the world."

-Ghada Mansi, MECA team member in occupied Gaza

We look forward to continuing our work supporting Palestinian children with the solidarity and support of The Big Ride for Palestine riders and the more than 1000 people who have donated to this fundraiser this year!

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