Cycling Challenge: Pisa to Rome

This event raised over £140,000 and funded 3 projects for children in Gaza

The Cycling for Gaza group (C4G) worked with Welfare Association throughout 2010 to organise a four day cycling challenge for 27 cyclists from Pisa on the 29^th September 2010. The group cycled all the way down to Rome on the 2^nd October 2010, covering over 300 hilly kilometres!  The cyclists arrived in Rome by 8pm to a very warm welcome from Italian supporters, WA colleagues and family and friends who had arrived to congratulate and thank them.

Final funds raised for Gaza projects (Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Atfaluna Centre for the Deaf and the Ghassan Kanafani Development Association kindergartens) totalled more than £140,000. (Final funds were transferred in early 2011.)  Many thanks to the C4G team and all their cyclists and supporters.  

Day 1: Leaning Tower of Pisa to Campiglia Marittima

Distance: 52.6 mi (90 km) / Vertical climb: ca. 524 ft / Surface: Paved

Day 2: Campiglia Marittima to Fonteblanda

Distance: 70.6 mi (85km) / Vertical climb: ca. 1706 ft / Surface: Paved

Day 3: Fonteblanda to Tarquinia

Distance: 65.8 mi (70km) / Vertical climb: ca. 1738 ft / Surface: Paved

Day 4: Tarquinia to the Colosseum, Rome

Distance: 62.8 mi (95km) / Vertical climb: ca. 2985 ft / Surface: Paved

1. Counselling programme for young children in Gaza, working with local partner Gaza Community Mental Health Programme – (£33,960). This programme supported young children traumatised from the conflict in Gaza. The project provided:
   •  675 one-to-one counselling sessions for 329 children.
   • upgraded skills and awareness of 217 teachers and parents, who were then more able to detect behavioural changes and most appropriately support traumatised children.
   • 24 personnel within the schools with 20 hours of professional training, to improve the schools ability to provide the required counselling
   • School offices with furniture and equipment, and the classrooms were equipped with educational resources and aids for the counselling sessions
   • Six summer camps including over 300 children – providing confidence building activities and recreational / therapeutic trips to help the children de-stress – e.g. trips to the zoo and the beach.
      
2. Establishing an outreach early intervention programme for deaf children (0-5 years of age): working with local partner Atfaluna – (£31,535). This programme:
   • increased the number of families it supports in a year by 40%, allowing it to take on 53 new children
   •  allowed 80% of the children to significantly improve their communication and social skills and considerably developed their cognitive abilities and speech acquisition levels (sign and verbal) 
   • provided over 5,000 sessions in children’s homes, consisting of 2,920 educational sessions and 2,860 psychosocial sessions.
   • upgraded the skills of 53 mothers  – developing their communication and interaction capabilities with their children, over 95% of the mothers indicated that this programme significantly improved their inter-family relationships- 93% of mothers indicated that the social communication skills of their children with family members developed, helping their children to become more integrated in their surrounding environment.
3. Providing support for children’s early development, Kanafani Kindergartens (£71,765)
   
   The Kanafani Development Association operates 4 kindergartens with 700 children enrolled within the Beit Hanoun and Jabalia areas of Gaza. Due to the difficult circumstances in Gaza, the schools were not fully equipped and needed renovation. This project:
   • supplied 275 preschool children with new uniforms, schoolbags, stationary, shoes and winter jackets for an entire academic year
   • provided 70 children with a full academic scholarship for a year’s enrolment into the kindergartens
   • upgraded and refurbished two kindergarten facilities
   • provided a 7 month nutrition programme, successfully reducing anaemia in one third of the children.