Cycling4Gaza

 
Motivation, inspiration and belief are powerful feelings that can instantaneously instigate a change. At some point during our cycle, every one of us experienced each, if not all of the above.. Our day started with the excitement of knowing this would be our final run to the finish, allowing us to find the motivation to gather all our remaining energy and complete the journey. But our minds were clouded by the daunting thoughts of the difficult 5km uphill stretch, followed by a number of oscillating ups and downs all the way to the end. We spend most of our lives with our sights set on the top, but when cycling the sheer anticipation of seeing a downhill turn triggered pure elation, well in my case anyway, quite ironic.
After having breakfast surrounded by the breathtaking views of red mountains on one side, the calm almost unmoving Dead Sea on the other and Palestine in the distance, we set off to conquer the first challenge of the day. The first 5km uphill climb can only be described as excruciatingly painful. Each rotation of the wheels did get us a little closer to the top, which only grew to be even higher.

The uphill climb

The key was, of which most of the cyclists kept on shouting out as inspiring words, “Don’t stop peddling!” It may seem obvious, but the number of times I wanted to stop for just one moment to relive the burning sensation in my legs ended up being countless. 40 ish minutes later and it was all over, well the worst part, the only feeling worth remembering was pure relief.
The rest of the day we spent cycling upwards, pushing forward with all our might and flying down, letting go and enjoying the ride. The views were spectacular, the people were inspiring and the ride was truly terrific! We finally reached the meeting point at the Baptism site, where an enthusiastic group of friends and family who had come in from Amman joined us for the last 18km to the finish line. Thankfully, the road was fairly straight, with miniature uphill climbs in comparison. The buildup of energy as we all cycled together to the finish was indescribable, overpowering and truly inspiring. Finally, we crossed the finish line, cyclists were flying by, jumping off their bikes and embracing each other. It was an unforgettable sight. The feeling of accomplishment, both physically and mentally, the relief, the exhilaration, the fulfillment, and a bit of sadness; only a snippet of the emotions flowing through each of us.

With every step forward we take together, we hope to pave the road for the future generation.

Zara Hannoun

26 bicycles wheeled over Jordanian asphalt for 350km for three days, some of it smooth, most of it graveled, and some cracked. but the 52 wheels made it. the pilots of those bikes found deep fulfillment not only in overcoming a physical challenge but mostly, in having done so for a cause close to one’s heart, Palestine. For urban people counting on cars and public transport, moving one’s legs in loops for 8 hours in a row is no small challenge. There’s also a great deal of freedom in doing so, especially on downhills. Joy, pure joy overshadowing physical pain. 3 days of cycling, close to 9 times the length of Gaza, or 3.4 times round the edges of Gaza (40km Mediterranean Sea, 11km Egypt, 51km Israel). To cycle 3+ times around Gaza would have meant a first round to get to see Gaza at first glance, a second round to capture what was missed the first time, and a third to come to know it, if only on an urban level. But by doing so, we would have crossed 51kms of no-go-zone where we would have been moving targets for Israel (up to 1km of land from the Israeli border inward is a no-go-zone that is deemed a security area by Israel, eating up 17% of the Gaza Strip). So our perimeter would need to move inward into Gaza, probably pushing the 3.4 times round Gaza to 4 times or so. So the fourth round would be the point of familiarity, where we would find the urge to cycle into the heart of the land, cycling from city to refugee camp and so on. But doing that would require care, as 13 cyclists from the 26 are female, and cycling for women in Gaza has its taboos. This new realization, that women riding bikes in Gaza is like women driving cars in Saudi, makes one reevaluate the choice of sport to raise awareness about Gaza. Or, it actually calls for a realization that this is both a campaign to bring people to think about Gaza but also, a campaign to raise awareness about cycling as a legitimate sport, and a mode of transportation for women as it is for men, and children. But is it a mode of transportation for anyone in Gaza? There are no real signs of that online, and the hope is, that by the time Cycling4Gaza 2012 comes, we will have gotten closer to understanding the meaning of a bike in the Gaza context, so we feel that our cycle is shared with those within that 102km boundary.

Joumana Al Jabri

My horrid blackberry alarm rings at around 4:45, and I feel that I haven’t gotten a wink of sleep. Our cycling group spent most of the previous night stretching and sharing stories by the cozy fireplace at the Feynan Ecolodge; yet still I’m incredibly sore. I pack up in the dark, put my cycling gear on and wobble downstairs for a mighty breakfast. We have around 127 km to cycle today – almost just as much as the previous day. Our final destination today is Mujib.

We started the morning with some beautiful, breezy downhills. Unfortunately Jordanian side roads aren’t as smooth as Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, and we found ourselves maneuvering around huge potholes – which of course led to a few crashes. However, it was wonderful observing villages come to life as the sun rose. I had stopped to take a photograph when one of our cyclists got a flat tire as she was passing me. We took a few moments to truly enjoy the sun rising over the mountains while we waited for the support van to come around with our spare tubes and replace the flat.

We spent the day cycling at a steady pace, enjoying the landscape as it evolved from rocky mountain terrain, to desert, then back to rocky mountains that resembled the Northern Emirates, then through lush agricultural fields, then onto salt pans then finally onto gorgeous glimpses of the Dead Sea.

At one point, I heard a creaking rickety sound to my left, I turned around to look behind me and I saw a Jordanian teenager cycling with us on his ramshackle bicycle. We chatted to him along the way, listening to his life story. He recounted tales of when he rode his bike to Syria, and how he wanted to leave his life in Jordan in hopes for something better. He then looked up and said, “I’m leaving you here, bye and good luck!”

I glanced up and saw exactly why he chose to leave us at that moment. A massive uphill awaited us, we picked up speed as much as we could and conquered it in slow meditative cycling motions on our lowest gear possible. We had a few uphills that day, luckily they provided some preparation for what was to come the third day. Shortly after reaching the 90km mark, we stopped by the side of the road to ravenously eat our mushroom wraps and protein bars.

Post-lunch, we were granted incredible panoramic views of the Dead Sea to our left, with Palestine on the horizon.

We arrived at Mujib around 4:30pm (completing 127km), with enough time to explore and take a Dead Sea swim, stretch a little and take in the view.

After some much-needed (cold) showers, we spent the evening having an insightful conversation with fellow cyclist Adnan, a Gaza native, who told us tales of his childhood in Gaza and the realities on the ground now. The conversation not only enlightened us with information on Gaza we did not know, but also gave us the motivation and drive to work that much harder for the 80km full of uphills that were to follow the next day, remembering why we had taken on this challenge in the first place.

Razan Alzayani

After coming into Amman from London, Scotland, the UAE and Lebanon, and catching up with our fellow Jordanian cyclists, the 26 of us congregated in Aqaba by the Red Sea, only 500 metres from Elat, late on Wednesday night, pumped and raring to go. It was early bedtime for us, as the morning saw us up, out of the hotel and on our bikes at 6.45am. We were on a race to arrive in Feynan, our final destination for the day, before sunset. With over 135km to cover before 4.30pm, this was no easy feat. 10 minutes into the cycle, we encountered our first fall. Thankfully no one was hurt and the cyclists got right back on their bikes straight away.

After 2 and a half hours of cycling, we had a quick 10 minute break (queue bananas, biscuits, and energy bars) and it was back on the bike to reach the 80km mark before our lunch stop. With a non-changing landscape, the road seemed never-ending, and our poor tour guides were bombarded with “are we nearly there yet”s.

Finally, a little pit stop on the side of the road and we had a pot full of “ma2loubeh” (literal translation: “upside down” – a traditional Levant dish made up of rice with spices and, in this case, chicken) waiting to refuel us.

Half an hour of eating and stretching, and it was straight back on our saddles to reach Feynan before dark. On we went and, while some of us lagged behind, Mohammed from Dubai/Palestine and Nabeel from Birmingham/Pakistan were being filmed by a TV crew in a van that was blocking the lane next to them. Those who have been to Jordan will know that Jordanian drivers are not the most patient of the lot, and so they began honking and beeping their horns to overtake the TV crew and the strange cyclists in the front of them. The van stayed put, and the honking continue until Mohammed took his Palestinian flag out of his back pocket and, as him and Nabeel cycled next to each other, each grabbed a corner and held the flag out, and the honking went silent.

As we inched towards our final destination, with around 20km to go, the sun’s rays were softening and clouds were appearing in the sky. We kept moving, and the last of us reached our final stop with just 10 or 15 minutes before the sun was setting. With 143 km down, we were finally done for the day.

Our trusty coach took us and our jelly legs across the final few kilometres to Feynan, where pick-up trucks driven by local Bedouins shuttled us on a bumpy desert road to Feynan Ecolodge. By this point, the sun had set and all we could see were tens of lanterns lighting the entrance of the lodge (which is lit by candles only). Day 1 was complete, and we were dreading the 4.45am rise the next day, but excited for what Day 2 had in store for us.

Last May 2011, I was out with the family when my younger sister, Shaima, asked me if I’d like to take part in a cycling challenge to help raise money and awareness for the children of Gaza. My immediate answer was “Yes!” In the next few minutes, I looked at her again and asked: “Tell me more about this, how does it work?!”

Fast forward to August, I was part of a group of 10 UAE-based cyclists who were buzzing with energy. We trained together, we hosted dinners, we ran a Palestinian movie night, we sold our unwanted items at the flea markets, and we got people training for boxing- All for Gaza! We were unstoppable! We spoke relentlessly about the projects we’re supporting and we trained for our upcoming 350 Kms from Olympia to Athens in October 2011.

In parallel, d-day came closer and the protests against austerity measures by the Greeks were reaching new levels. The security situation in Greece was deteriorating and the worse was inevitable: We had to call off the cycle in Greece. A week before we were due to fly to Greece, we were certain that air traffic controllers in Athens were to strike on the day we planned to get to Greece and a day later. Nothing was clear except for the fact that we had to call it off!

What we couldn’t ignore at that point is our responsibility towards 1,080 children spread over 3 NGOs that work in the Strip as well as all the people that donated to our cause and supported us – the challenge had to take place: Cycling4Gaza cyclists from different parts of the world involved themselves and a brave decision to hold a substitute challenge in Jordan in December 2011 was taken.

Following the big change in plan, Cycling4Gaza has assembled a 5-people team that has volunteered to take on an administrative challenge to recreate the event from close-o-scratch in a very limited timeframe. We have come a long way now towards planning our 3-day cycle which starts next December 8th from Aqaba. I am pumped to be part of an international team that has come to show their determination to humanity and to Gaza!

I dedicate this post to the Cycling4Gaza’s 2011 team. To all of you who planned to make it to the original cycle in Greece in October and to all the ones I will meet in Jordan in less than 4 weeks.

Mohammed Tahboub
Dubai. 14.11.2011

One would be quick to think that fundraising for a cause like Cycling4Gaza would be simple and straightforward. For the UAE C4G group, living in the Middle East means that our communities are widely aware of the blockade on Gaza and the negative implications it has had on Gaza’s people since 2007, not to mention the ongoing atrocities facing Palestinians as a whole for decades. The idea of helping children who are in dire need of medical and education programmes should sell itself. But even with ten people in the UAE coordinating efforts to reach our goal of 24,000 GPB, we have had to be extremely creative in our fundraising techniques.

Having worked in fundraising for two years at a contemporary dance company in the U.S. – which included applying for Department of State grants and local funds of up to $200,000 – I have to say the UAE team have really pulled some great efforts in finding unique and compelling schemes to both engage and bring awareness to those around us in a way that makes sense for them.

Our first fundraiser was tied in with the Dubai Flea Market – a monthly gathering of Dubai residents in search for goods at great prices. Getting involved in this Saturday morning occasion meant we had to be in bed early on Friday night, pull together to lug heavy bags and boxes into the venue in the scorching UAE heat, and willingly give up a good chunk of our final weekend day. But it was worth it. Not only did we raise about 1,500 GBP after two flea markets, but I can also safely say we have all gained some strong negotiation skills as a result.

Another key fundraising event was a dinner at my house for friends and family. This was less of a challenge to attract people since everyone enjoys a good meal. With the help of my parents, we hosted almost 30 guests for a feast that could feed 50. Unlike the West where people may actually be more comfortable to just find a cause they care about and donate some cash online, the Arab community really require a human touch. So, I went around each table of Aunties and Ammos and explained to them what we were doing and the feat ahead of us. A lot of them were confused as to why someone would cycle for 350km in three days in addition to raising the money we needed, but they truly admired our unwavering passion, dedication and commitment on a physical and emotional level to helping the children of Gaza in whatever way possible. And as a result, the dinner drew in almost 2,300 GBP.

In between these key moments we were also very fortunate to be involved in other events that supported our cause such as the WAY (Welfare Association for Youth) Chapter iftar dinner, two dedicated yoga sessions and a Palestinian movie night with a screening of Budrus. And in addition to the generous donations of our friends, families and colleagues, we are now over 35% of the way to reaching our goal.

What’s next for this fantastic clan? Oh, just another standard fundraising tactic: quiz night at a local pub. Hope the guests read up on their Gaza facts asap…

Cycling from Olympia to Athens is no small feat. The basic skills required to accomplish such a journey include good physical shape, strong mental willpower and the ability to ride a bicycle. Forty four of us could do just that. However, Natasha, my sister, seemed to have missed out on what was supposed to be a significant part of her childhood. She had yet to learn how to ride a bike, which subsequently became our mission. Learning how to ride a bicycle encompasses two basic concepts; balance and fear, both of which play major roles throughout our lives. Drawing these parallels between life and our daily activities signify the importance of each of our actions and their subsequent effect, intrinsically and externally. This was our hope; that the efforts of 45 people around the world could help change the lives of 1,800 children in Gaza.

Day one was highly entertaining, for me, but extremely painful, for Natasha. The simple thought of ‘I can’t’ resulted in a number of falls, scrapes and bruises. The brain has an incessant ability to hold onto a thought driven by fear. The result is usually an unsuccessful attempt of the action or complete mental and physical immobility. But all of that changed on day two. Natasha fearlessly jumped onto the bike and just said ‘that’s it, I am going to do this and I will!’ Believe it or not she managed to stay on the bike for a strong and steady 5 minute cycle. That may not seem to be an achievement, but from that moment on her brain let go of the fear and allowed her to move forward. The first step to any challenge is always the hardest.

Day three was mastering the art of balance and maneuvering, a slightly more technical task. The brain co-ordinates hundreds of simultaneous activities at any one point in time. Breathing is regulated in sync with the rhythm of the heart beat. Eyes receive external information, which is then processed by the brain resulting in a defined and controlled action. The brain also maintains balance by transforming sets of signals sent by visual and auditory senses into specific muscle movements. Therefore, the art of maintaining balance is to let the brain do its job and let your body follow in suit. This is certainly easier said than done. The conscious part of our brain sometimes thinks ‘it knows better’ which inevitably alters the muscles actions and results in imbalance. The secret is to not try so hard, to just let it go and all of a sudden balance is achieved. This can also be applied in life. After hours of fighting, Natasha let her brain do its job and achieved perfect balance, turned corners comfortably and even managed to jump up onto a few pavements. Anything is possible once you let go of the outcome.

Once Natasha’s fear was overcome there was nothing but smooth sailing from day four onwards. Each of us is doing our part and contributing to life what we can, hoping that it will not only make a difference in our lives but also touch the lives of others. Let us stop thinking and just do it!

Zara Hannoun

Some more photos from cyclist Joumana Al Jabri, as she takes to the streets of Beirut in preparation for the cycle challenge next month..

New cycling and running track.. if you look closely enough you'll find half a dozen men stretching collectively

Ongoing construction to beautify the city

Route challenge 3

Taken from the new cycling track going towards the city and port

One of the empty lands you come across on the corniche, a discovery - view towards the city

Same empty land - view towards the construction site of the new Kempinski right before Ouzai

I wake up early enough to bike before the sun heats up the city. I rent a bike from Beirut by Bike, and I begin my cycle on the Corniche.

I might have cycled 15km back and forth, more, less, namely from the beginnings of Ras Beirut’s Abdel Nasser mosque, considered to be one of the hearts of the city, to as close as one can cycle without major hiccups to Ouzai, a possible beginning point of the city’s outskirts, or right before that. I’d been doing my duty cycle at the gym, reached 30km close to comfortably, but an outdoor cycle is like a fresh start.
 

The gears were challenging, a rented bike is challenging, the wind blowing against you is challenging and then you get to the bits that make it a cycle in Beirut and nowhere else. To add to the challenge, my bike had no bell, and so I had to depend on my voice to save people who were walking in all directions absent minded or thought absorbed to pay attention to an amateur cyclist.
 
The corniche is wide, but at times it just shrinks, and disappears.

Joumana Al Jabri

Hello friends, supporters, cyclists, donors, organisers and general browsers and welcome to Cycling4Gaza’s first blog entry of 2011!

This year’s cycle is looking to be even bigger and better, with 45 cyclists now registered – 18 more than our magic number 27 over the past two years. What’s more is our cyclist base is really growing this year, with participants based in the UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Jordan, Gaza and Egypt all coming together for the cause. C4G activities have also expanded well beyond the UK, with UAE and Saudi cyclists coming together to create Country Groups, which have since been working together to coordinate fundraising, PR and training efforts on a national basis … the road to reaching our target of £200,000 is looking promising!

So, where is this £200,000 going? Our charity partner for a second year running is the Welfare Association, a well-established international NGO that has been working with the most vulnerable Palestinian communities for over 20 years. The money we raise will support 3 of the Welfare’s projects in Gaza, all of which are part of one of their core programmes in the region, the Gaza Community-Based Rehabilitation programme.

Essentially, each of these projects will offer the resources necessary to advance the learning of disabled children. The Sun Day Care Centre for Special Education, for example, is a 12-month project which will establish an integrated quality educational programme for children aged 7-15 with special needs in Gaza in order to improve their cognitive, behavioural and psychological abilities. We aim to do this through the provision of training of 16 teachers, educational materials and technology, and recreational and educational services to 180 children and to the community in which they live. To me, projects like this are important also because they go as far as to target the society surrounding the children, allowing their families and communities to better understand how to create a nurturing environment for them, both academic and social, something I view as key for the progress of the community as a whole.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with a deeper insight into each of these projects, which we have begun raising awareness about through our PR campaign. The media aspect is something we are particularly excited about at C4G, as this is the main vehicle through which we hope to raise awareness not only about what we are doing, but about the ongoing situation in Gaza, and the need to support projects on the ground that are working towards a better future for Gaza’s next generation. Our UAE country group has taken great strides in promoting the cycle in local media, having already secured coverage in the Khaleej Times , Arab News and Gulf News .

On the UK front, we will be hosting a Cycling4Gaza night on Wednesday the 28th of September in London, so for the Londoners out there, make sure you save the date! The night will include live music, Palestinian food, a talk from the Welfare about their work in Gaza, and more! Keep your eyes peeled for more information to come next week.

Finally, I’ll sign off this inaugural blog by saying that your support is really invaluable to each and every one of us involved with C4G. Anyone is able to participate in this initiative: spreading the word and getting media coverage through networks, and volunteering with us during events are just as important as the cycle itself- without these, it cannot take place; so play your part if you are able to!

Ta léme sýntoma
(see you soon in Greek)

Tala Fahoum
C4G Committee