Many of us have been moved by the invasion of Ukraine. The scale of destruction and human tragedy has led some of us to ask the questions, how can we help? Which charities are doing the greatest work? If I am to donate, where can I be sure that my cash will make a genuine difference?

Asking these same questions, my research led me to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), who provide lifesaving healthcare for people caught in disasters and conflict zones across the world. You might remember them for their work in Syria, where they saved families assaulted with chemical weapons. You might know them for their work in Palestine, where medical care helped hundreds of thousands of civilians caught in blood-soaked Gaza. Or you might have heard of their work in West Africa, where MSF saved potentially countless lives from the Ebola virus. All in all, if there is a humanitarian disaster somewhere in the world, where people need access to emergency medical help, you can be sure that MSF is there making a difference.

As we speak, MSF is actively saving lives in Ukraine – setting up emergency hospitals in the field, training Ukrainian doctors in conflict surgery, and distributing critical medicine in war torn areas – simply put, the work of MSF, funded by people like us, has saved many lives throughout history, and we have an opportunity here to save many more, again.

As I read more deeply into the extraordinary work of MSF, I became increasingly convinced that this was an organisation I wanted to be a part of. Believing that fundraising was, and is, the best way for me to make a difference personally, I asked myself the question, what torture can I inflict upon my body for the greater cause of raising money for MSF? And crucially, how can I raise useful awareness for the conflict in Ukraine?

My answer: commencing Monday the 1^st of August, I will embark on a cycle of approximately 2000 miles, from Edinburgh to Kyiv, expecting to arrive on around Saturday the 20^th of August. As such, I intend to cycle an average of 100 miles (160 kilometres) per day. Importantly, my goal is to record the journey, with the aim of producing a documentary that might raise further awareness of the important work that MSF is doing in Ukraine and beyond. The cycle itself will be an unsupported solo event, and undoubtedly, one of the hardest challenges of my life so far.

But as is the nature of these endeavours, the word “solo” is deceptively inappropriate. I owe great thanks to my uncle, Graeme, who is kindly lending me a far better bike than I could hope to afford myself. My parents have been a great fountain of wisdom on all things practical (such as how to eat when you are burning 8000-9000 calories per day – quite challenging as it turns out). And perhaps most importantly, I owe gratitude to you, friends, in advance, for what I hope you also feel is a cause worthy of a generous donation.
 

It is truly an honour to set forth upon this undertaking with your support. I believe that together, our donations will grant a new lease of life for those afflicted by war and disaster, that they might live to see many more days and years, for which it is hoped will be ones of peace and prosperity. We have an opportunity to work towards that future now, and I encourage you to research the work of MSF (see here: www.msf.org), so that you might gain a richer picture of the direct difference your donations will make, to the lives of much of the world’s most genuinely needy.

Many thanks my friends,

Aaron