Sean Nicolson
Better on a bike than a camel
Fundraising for Medical Aid for Palestinians
Story
In late September and early October I will be spending six days cycling the length of the West Bank to raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). The ride was originally planned to take place in March 2020, was rearranged for September 2020, but the ride will hopefully now take place this autumn.
I am covering my own travel and accommodation costs, so all your donations will be used to support MAP's projects. For those of you who supported me three years ago, thank you very much for your patience. I really will complete the ride! Repeat donations are very welcome!
The planned route is currently being reviewed and might need to be changed to take account of the current security situation. The current plan is to ride from the north down to Hebron in the south and finish in Jerusalem. "The road upward and the road downward are one and the same" as I will be experiencing physically (if not philosopically) when I take the road down from Jericho to the Dead Sea (the lowest point on Earth) and then pedal back up again to Bethlehem. So I am doing my best during this rainy summer to stick to MAP's training plan to make sure I don't end up in the broom wagon (although I may still be the group's "lantern rouge").
MAP's programmes provide access to essential health services and build local knowledge and skills to address local health problems. These programmes include a focus on:
- primary healthcare where access to primary health and diagnostic services is hampered by movement restrictions;
- women and children (where infant and child mortality rates have not decreased materially in the last 10 years);
- mental health and psychosocial support services that help individuals and communities to heal psychological wounds and rebuild social structures in the face of stress and marginalisation;
- removing the barriers to the participation in society by people with disabilities.
I hope that by undertaking this challenge I will help raise awareness of the essential work that MAP does. Whatever you are able to give will go to a very worthwhile cause and will be very much appreciated by me and the many people that MAP supports.
I would like to make sure that I can update all my supporters while I am on the ride. So if you prefer to donate anonymously, please drop me a line and I will make sure I keep you posted on progress while in the West Bank.
