Edit 9th July 2025: This challenge was completed (see updates for how the cycle went), but the fundraising continues. Thank you so much to all who generously donated! The family face very difficult times and the situation escalates. Ahmed is experiencing some health issues of late and i want to help take the strain of the ongoing need fo him to raise money to be able to eat and feed his family through fundraising. This still remains the best way to help out families on the ground. They need money to buy things from the black market due to the full blockade, currently 1KG of flour is $100, a can of tomatoes is $20 and so on. So all help is urgently needed. The GHF are the only organisation allowed to provide aid to Palestinians from Gaza at present and they shoot 10s of people daily. So going for aid is increases their chances of being killed on top of the possibility to be sniped by gun, drone or by being bombed, illness without medical help, contamination and starvation. It is very bleak. And just today Israel announces the building of a containment camp in Rafah with the intention to move everyone there. Late stage genocide of the Palestinian people is ever progressing and barbaric. Please support and share if you can. Many thanks for your care and attention.
_______________________________________
Hi! We are Erin Maguire and Louise McFarlane from Edinburgh. We are raising money for Ahmed Isleem and family in Gaza, our close friends. We will cycle from Edinburgh to Glasgow on 25th May to raise money for Ahmed and his family of ten to help them survive.
Our route is a 58 mile traffic free canal tow path from Edinburgh to Glasgow, the NCN74 route which goes alongside and joins the Union, Forth and Clyde Canals. It should take around 5 hours.
Why and who we are doing this for
Ahmed and his family are facing hunger, bombing and are surrounded by death and destruction. With the occupier blockading the borders and stopping aid entering Gaza the situation is dire and normal life has ground to a halt. We are raising money so that Ahmed can buy food and supplies for him and his family in the short term and hopefully raise enough funds to help them create some semblance of life beyond the current genocide.
Ahmed was making every effort to learn marketing and English during the recent ceasefire as he just wants to get back to earning a living. But with the end of the ceasefire that is now not possible again.
Ahmed's identity has been verified and Erin is in constant contact with him - we know he is a kind individual who just wants to live in peace. We will collect funds for Ahmed and send them to him.
Follow Ahmed on Instagram here.