Biking to Save Lives in Gaza

By Eve Higby and Micki Luckey 

During the nine months of Israel’s unrelenting war, the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) has continued to deliver food to people in Gaza.  To raise funds to support this work, MECA held its Third Annual Ride for Palestine this past Sunday, July 21st. The need for aid is especially urgent: Israeli bombardments have caused massive displacements, and the Israeli government has blocked the entry of food. Tens of thousands of Palestinian children suffer from severe malnutrition and medical supplies are practically nonexistent, according to a recent UNICEF report.

A team of 16 SURJ Bay Area riders joined about fifty other teams in the Ride for Palestine to raise funds for MECA.  The event was wildly successful, surpassing MECA’s goals by raising nearly $300,000, and bringing a few hundred people together for Palestinian food, music and dancing in a day of solidarity with Gaza.

Bicyclists ride on the Bay Trail to Richmond CA for the MECA Ride for Palestine. Photo: Team SURJ

​MECA is a Berkeley-based nonprofit organization that works for the rights and well-being of children in the Middle East, including Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.  Since 1988 MECA has provided direct aid (food, medicines, clothes, books, school supplies. and toys), supported organizations on the ground (clinics, libraries, playgrounds, cultural programs and counseling centers), installed water purification units in schools in Gaza (The Maia Project), and provided educational materials and scholarships (Teach Palestine).

The Bike Ride for Palestine raises funds that go directly to MECA’s work in Gaza, whose residents have experienced dire food and clean water shortages, resulting in widespread famine and malnourishment, since the Israeli attacks started last year. MECA’s staff in Gaza continue to do their work on the ground despite their own hardships and losses. Even before the current devastation, clean water was scarce and food limited by the Israeli blockade of Gaza that has been in place since 2007.

According to the latest reports, 96% of residents in Gaza (more than 2 million people) are currently facing acute food security with many families going entire days without eating. MECA has sent more than $31 million in direct aid to children in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon since 1988, according to its website. MECA staff as well as their partner organizations are involved in not only the distribution of hot meals, food parcels, and clean water, but also activities like nutritional services and psychosocial activities to help children deal with the difficulties of their situation and the traumas they have experienced. In the U.S., MECA organizes educational and cultural programs that increase awareness about the lives of children living in the Middle East and how U.S. foreign policy affects people in the region. 

The Bay Area chapter of SURJ, which published a statement of Solidarity for Palestine in 2022,  has launched a new Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Their participation in the Ride for Palestine kicked off the activities of this campaign.  Captain of the team, Amber Hatfield described their experience at the event: “Wow--it was truly amazing to move for freedom with Team SURJ and hundreds of other courageous people of conscience this past Sunday! We came together to support one another, practice sumoud ("steadfastness" in Arabic), and enjoy the beauty of Palestinian cultural heritage. For every mile of effort we expended along the Bay Trail, we refueled with community, art, dance, delicious food and fellowship. I'm so proud of everyone on our team and all of our supporters who helped us raise nearly $12,000 for MECA and their ground relief crew in Gaza. Viva Viva Palestina!”

Members of the SURJ BA team for the MECA Ride for Palestine ready to ride on Sunday, July 21, in Berkeley, CA. Photo: Felicia Gustin