Hi all,

I've decided to embark on my first fundraiser by joining Cycling4Gaza, an initiative founded by a group of concerned young individuals in the wake of last year's war on Gaza.

The Cause: Raising funds to support the Welfare Association's work in the field of early childhood development. The funds will be split between three Welfare partner organisations in Gaza; the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), the Society for Deaf Children and the Kanafani Kindergarten. These organisations have contributed greatly by helping the most vulnerable Palestinian children through psycho-social activities and supporting children who are visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing and with mental health problems. 

The challenge: a tough mental and physical challenge through the hilly countryside and coast of Italy starting from the Leaning Tower of Pisa and finishing at Colosseum in Rome, cycling an average of 85km per day over four days.

The dates: we kick-off on 28 September 2010 from Pisa and finish on 2 October 2010 at the Colosseum.

You can read more about the challenge and Cycling4Gaza here as well as the Welfare Association here.

Please show your support for the children of Gaza by sponsoring me on this challenge. Your contribution - no matter how small - will be invaluable to the lives of these children:

-£30 can provide shoes, a tracksuit, sweater and backpack for a school child

-£75 can provide psycho-social activities for a child over one year (sports equipment, field trips, play sessions, etc.)

-£100 can provide educational materials for one child for one year (books, educational games, musical instruments, etc.)   

-£400 fully supports one child in a kindergarten with comprehensive educational and psycho-social activities and provides clothing and a nutritious meal for one year. 

The Welfare Association is an international, non-governmental, non-political, non-religious UK registered charity that has been providing essential humanitarian assistance to Palestinian communities in Gaza, the West Bank and refugee camps in Lebanon since 1993. Their objective is the reduction of poverty for marginalised Palestinian communities, especially children and the disabled, with support for health, education, agriculture and emergency services in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Many thanks for your support and wish me luck!!

Osama