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Kiwi women 'Stride for Gaza' to support Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)

  • Challenges completed - and the power of action together.

      14 November 2024
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    Our fundraising will close tomorrow (last chance in case you've yet to donate!) We've raised over $9000 for medical aid to Palestinians and our hearts and hopes are buoyed by this support that exceeded our expectations. Once this campaign closes, funds are sent by Givealittle to our designated bank account. Amanda will then transfer all funds raised to Medical Aid for Palestinians to support their work in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon.

    Amanda and Immy posted brief updates on our challenges. Marianne completed her challenge (to approximately double her usual run kms) and in spite of challenges completed this to run 100km in 2 weeks! Her message: The situation in Gaza, now extended to West Bank and Lebanon is horrifying and it can be easy to feel despair. Taking these small actions that we can, together, is the way I know to get through, to keep on going. Thank you for being part of that with us.

    We three will keep on taking those actions - the next right thing - and we hope you will too. Keep up the Boycott-Divest-Sanction pressure - and tell others about it; keep writing to your MPs, signing the petitions, joining the rallies. Keep talking about what is happening, about the people of Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon. These are the actions we can take, and though they feel so inadequate, when we add them together - the thousands of us and our small actions - they make a difference.

    With love and gratitude - Marianne, Immy & Amanda.

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  • Immy’s challenge complete - thank you dear friends and family xx

      1 November 2024
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    I started with an hiss and a roar, and then hobbled (with a very sore knee) to the finish line to complete my 50km walk in two weeks, between 11 - 26 October.

    Thank you for standing with us to show Gazans they are not alone. Here the latest WhatsApp message from Issam, my dear former boss in Gaza “ Dearest Imogen, thank you so much for your message and kind words, we’re strong as long as there are people like you who are still human and still believe in humanity. Very horrific however we’ll never give up to advocate justice and the rule of law. ❤️❤️🙏🙏”

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  • Amanda's challenge completed!

      30 October 2024
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    50km and 4373m climb in 2 weeks!

    From 12noon on 11 Oct to 21 Oct, climbing in our local Tararua range I climbed 4293m, covering 42km. I visited Powell and Mid-Waiohine huts overnight, walked the steep-but-with-amazing-views Escarpment Track and sped up and down the Parata Track twice. With this I passed my climbing goal (4000m), but had 8km distance to go. As rain and wind made the final big walk I'd hoped for unwise, I decided instead on a rainy 7km run along the Waikanae River trail on 23 Oct, bringing me to 49km.

    My daughter Amal (her name is Arabic for ‘hope’) wanted to join me in the challenge, so with the fortunate timing of a teacher-only day, we planned a 1km, 80m climb around the Kohekohe Walk at Hemi Matenga Reserve on Friday 25 Oct in very wet and windy weather with friends – arriving sodden back at our car an hour before the 12noon cutoff to complete my target 50km - with total 4373m climb - in 2 weeks.

    Thanks so much to all of you who have supported us in this fundraising challenge and shown your care for people in Gaza.

    Immy and Marianne will share their updates soon. Our group challenge finishes tomorrow (31 Oct), but we're leaving the fundraising open until 15 Nov, and we'd love to reach $10,000 to send to Medical Aid for Palestinians - so please do pass this on if there is anyone you think of who may want to support and not have heard about it yet.

    Aroha nui.

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  • What will the $10,000 be used for?

      26 October 2024
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    Medical Aid for Palestinians is currently active in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon:

    - cleaning up hospitals damaged by Israeli attacks and equipping them so they can deliver emergency and basic health care

    - providing midwives to support pregnant women and women giving birth

    - providing emergency and complex medical care including surgeons

    - mental health and psychosocial support

    - support to disabled people in Gaza

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  • Thanks to you, we are aiming even higher.

      26 October 2024
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    Over the past week you have shown us that we are not alone.

    Lots of us are watching what is happening in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon with horror.

    Lots of us want to do what we can to help.

    Within days you showed us that our goals were too modest. We increased our goal to $4000, and then we increased it again to $8000.

    And today we are increasing it again, this time to $10,000.

    Because more of us care than we dared hope.

    While politicians refuse to use their power to stop this devastation, ordinary people are choosing to do what is in our power.

    And by choosing life, choosing humanity and choosing action we are resisting despair.

    Thank you.

    So please share this page with anyone you know who wants to help and wants to know how they can donate and be sure their money will get to people who need medical help in Gaza.

    If you want to see more of what Medical Aid for Palestinians are doing - you can follow them on Instagram @medicalaidpal where you can see updates from their staff in Gaza, and summaries of what they have continued to do even under the most difficult circumstances over the past year.

    Thank you.

    Love from Marianne, Imogen and Amanda

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  • An astonishing and heart-warming response two days in.

      18 October 2024
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    Two days after launching our fundraising campaign, we're astonished by the response. We've passed then increased our fundraising target (twice). It restores our faith in humanity to see how many people want to do something for the people of Gaza.

    On our stretch goal progress:

    Amanda has climbed back and forth over Mt Holdsworth (total 24.8km, 2333m climb), and - after a few days recovery! - a further 1.8km & 370m today.

    Marianne ran 10km last night. Immy has swapped gym sessions for walks and her dog thinks this is fantastic. We have 13 days to go.

    We launched this campaign because we needed to do something - to keep acting, to let people in Gaza know we are thinking of them every day and we will continue to stand up not stand by. We didn't realise how much it would mean to us to see our friends and family and people we don't even know standing with us in the way you have.

    If you are looking for other actions you can take, we suggest being part of the 'Boycott, Divest and Sanction' campaign - get NZ specific guidance at https://bdsnz.weebly.com/

    We will continue to keep you updated here as we work toward our goals.

    Ngā mihi, with love.

    Amanda, Immy and Marianne

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