Adam Kidy
Adam's Leicester to Amsterdam Cycle Challenge
Fundraising for Islamic Relief
Story
This Summer I have teamed up with Waves of Positivity & IRUK for their first international challenge, cycling from Leicester to Amsterdam in aid of rebuilding homes in Syria for those affected by the Turkiye-Syria earthquake.
For 12 years, crisis has raged in Syria, causing untold damage to the country, its infrastructure, and most importantly, its people.
The country has the largest number of internally displaced people in the world – 6.8 million people – and the highest number of people in need since the beginning of the crisis - over 70% of Syria’s population. Life is made bleaker still by catastrophic climate-related incidents. Drought, flooding and earthquakes have further devastated the country’s fragile infrastructure.
The 3 devastating earthquakes of February 2023 took the lives of thousands and internal conflicts meant those who needed it most were not able to receive proper aid.
[Syrian children sit outside their home in northwestern Idlib's village of Afes after residents displaced by intense Syrian regime bombings start to return, Syria, Jan. 2, 2021. (Getty Images)]
Every little bit counts and your contribution will make a difference. By supporting this page, you are directly having a meaningful impact on the lives of those who need it most.
Thank you for taking the time to visit this page and for your support!
Adam.
The Project
[A young Syrian boy cries as he sits on the rubble after a missile hit a residential area in the old quarter of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on July 21, 2015. (Getty Images)]
Almost two million Syrians are living in tents in Northern Syria. These tents are a temporary solution in providing safe shelter, and leave families suffering from the freezing cold and winter storms, as well as the harsh conditions in the summer.
[Islamic Relief workers supporting refugees and returnees, prioritising women’s access to basic services]
A dire housing situation
Many families in North-West Syria are living in substandard and squalid conditions, leaving them highly vulnerable. Infrastructure has been badly affected by the recent earthquake and years of conflict. This has made housing increasingly difficult to find, and vulnerable families cannot afford to pay rent. Therefore, a growing number of people are forced to settle in camps, where they face little protection from the elements.
In the harsh winters of Syria, families living in tents face extreme cold and are also prone to serious illnesses, while in the summer many suffer from sunstroke from direct sunlight hitting their tents. Children are particularly vulnerable, and as well as falling sick, many are unable to study and go to school amid such living conditions. Adults face an even greater struggle to work, pushing families further into poverty.
The IRUK teams are on the ground in Aleppo and Idlib and responded rapidly to the recent earthquake. We distributed urgent medical supplies, mattresses, blankets, plastic sheets, kits containing essential items for the elderly and children, tents, heating material, parcels of bread, water supplies, and hygiene kits and supported rubble-removal efforts.
So far, we have helped over one million people affected by the earthquake.
[A child sits in the rubble of a collapsed building in Jindires, Syria (Getty Images)]
Rebuilding homes and lives for vulnerable families
As well as providing emergency support we are aiming to help those in need recover and rebuild after disaster strikes. Before the earthquake struck, the relief had started rebuilding houses for the families displaced by the crisis in Syria. So far, we have built 145 houses in North-West Syria.
With your vital help, we will scale up our building of homes, especially for the most vulnerable, so that they can live in safety and with dignity.
With just £3,000, IRUK can build a permanent home for a family that has escaped the conflict and survived the earthquake in Syria.
Each home will be 65 square metres, and be able to host a family of five. The family will own their new home for life. We're working with local communities to identify and serve those who are most in need, including:
- Women and child-headed households
- Families with persons suffering from illness and disabilities
- Displaced families
- The elderly
We still have a long way to go to meet the housing needs of families struggling to survive in Syria, with estimates that 150,000-200,000 homes are needed.
Your vital donations will help families affected by the crisis with a home to help restore their well-being, protect them from the elements, and rebuild their lives.
[Housing project in Syria]
