Help feed Gaza's children: Sylvia's Dartmoor challenge

Hello, I'm Sylvia. I'm a freelance copywriter living in Surrey (UK) with my husband and 9-year-old daughter.

I’ve decided to trek across the wilds of Dartmoor for two days during the coldest and wettest time of the year, spending the night in a tent to raise money for Gaza Soup Kitchen.

I’ve not done anything remotely like this before – I’m definitely not a great outdoors type, and anyone who knows me will know that I won’t find this easy.

But two days of relative discomfort is nothing compared to more than a year of unimaginable suffering in Gaza. Tens of thousands of children are enduring life without a home (not even a tent) or access to food or medicine. Many have lost parents and sustained life-changing injuries. None have been to school for over a year.

Like so many others – and as a mother in particular – I’ve felt so helpless watching children lose everything and experience things no child ever should.

So I was so grateful to find out about Gaza Soup Kitchen. This family operation was set up by Hani Almadhoun, a Palestinian living in the US, who has friends and family on the ground bringing aid to where it’s needed most.

For the past year, Hani has been raising money which goes directly to his family in Gaza so they can buy local produce like fresh vegetables, rice and flour – foods that are now simply too expensive for most people. With the help of some friends, they cook up healthy meals and distribute them to hungry families up and down the strip.

Thanks to Hani and his family, Gaza Soup Kitchen now serves up to 6,000 people across Gaza every single day.

But they need more help. Most of the population are now facing catastrophic levels of hunger, and children are going to sleep and waking up hungry. A plate of nourishing, hot food not only relieves hunger, but brings much-needed dignity and comfort to children like Hamoudi (below), a regular at the soup kitchen in Al Zawaydah, southern Gaza.

Please consider making a donation to my fundraiser. Anything you give will go straight to Gaza Soup Kitchen and be converted into plates of nutritious food to nourish children like Hamoudi.

Let’s remind families in Gaza that they are not forgotten.

The details:

I’m now planning to trek across Dartmoor on 1st February, setting off in the morning and returning the next evening. I will wild camp overnight.

In the event of extreme weather conditions, I may have to reschedule. I will update here!