MORE than £2,000 was raised as glorious weather, beautiful countryside and great company helped ensure a ‘Miles In May’ fundraising walk was a great success.
The event was organised by the Saddleworth Palestine Women’s Scholarship Fund to pay for 62 Palestinian young women – 55 from Gaza and seven from the West Bank – to study in universities across Palestine.
The five-mile walk was completed by 30 fund supporters, taking in the canal towpath and bridleway from Greenfield to Mossley before ending at Friezland Church Hall, where more supporters gathered for a tea and talk.
Four of the group’s organisers had recently returned from a ten-day trip to the West Bank in Palestine. They talked about their experiences in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Sebastia and Hebron, where they witnessed the daily struggles faced by the Palestinian people.
On the tour they met two of the Scholarship Fund’s West Bank co-ordinators and student Dalya, who is studying psychology with music and also volunteers as an organiser of community-based activities for young women.
Catherine Holland, from Saddleworth PWSF, said: “Dalya’s passion for education and empowering young women is inspiring.
“Our experience made me realise that injustice is happening to Palestinian people on so many levels, in every area of their lives including education.
“The work we are doing in the Scholarship Fund seems so small but it is so important. It enhances their lives and everyone around them.”
The group also met families, women’s groups and community organisations running cultural centres and civil society groups.
Michele Abendstern, Saddleworth PWSF committee member, described how moved she was by the resilience and dignity of the many Palestinians they met in the face of daily humiliation and struggle and their determination to seek justice rather than revenge.
She was particularly struck by the ‘dystopian nature’ of what they saw, such as the gentrification of parts of the old city of Hebron where Palestinians are now banned and the modern settlements with all the amenities you would expect in a wealthy country, compared with the poverty and decay in the Palestinian villages, with limited water supplies, potholed roads and uncollected rubbish, despite paying the same taxes.
Jacqui Greenfield, Treasurer of Saddleworth PWSF, said: “We raise money at these events largely through donations. People were very moved by the heartfelt presentations and gave very generously.”
Anyone wishing to still donate you can use Saddleworth PWSF giveasyoulive.com page.
For more information about group, email saddleworth.pwsf@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.
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