Cycling4Gaza is an initiative founded by a group of determined and passionate young individuals 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 2015, Cycling4Gaza supported the newly launched mental healthcare project in Gaza with the PCRF, where 1,200 children were screened and subsequent treatment was provided. Due to the success of the project and the vital need for providing mental care for children in Gaza, we have chosen to support this project for 2017. In an effort to continue to raise awareness and essential funds, Cycling4Gaza #C4G2017 will once again support the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund 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 250,000 USD to support the development and execution of the project for a year. In an effort to do so, 55 cyclists from all over the globe will be cycling 250km over 3 days from Avila to Madrid, Spain on the 24th of September.

The Projects Aims are as follows:

• To provide free medication to patients who are in need of support
• To hire eight professional psychologists and psychiatrists to provide mental health counseling for children for the duration of one year
• To provide weekly and monthly group counseling for 200 high risk children and 80 mothers to teach them mental health coping skills
• To Support three summer camps in Gaza where counselors run intensive counseling for 200 high risk children to teach them coping skills for dealing with PTSD

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.