Friday Headlines
the weekly newsletter from EHS
Charity bike ride to support UNICEF and assist Yemen
20 November 2020
In September one of our 6th form students made a pledge, with her friend, to raise £1000 for UNICEF in order to help the children of Yemen. She was motivated to do this because of her awareness of the devastating effects that the civil war has had on the country. As she explains herself, ‘the brutal civil war that has been raging in Yemen has claimed more than 16,000 lives and has left 13 million people on the brink of starvation. Children are being killed and maimed in the conflict, while the damage and closure of schools and hospitals has disrupted access to education and health services, leaving children even more vulnerable and robbing them of their futures.’
Iram goes on to say, ‘as privileged students living in the UK, we can sometimes take things for granted, particularly when it comes to food. Hopefully, the money that we have raised will be used towards making food packages for families who are facing starvation, loss, pain and continued agony. We believe that we all have a responsibility to look after our fellow citizens irrespective of nation or race and help each other during difficult times. We are one community in one world which is our world! With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading like wildfire, the livelihood of so many families is being significantly impacted with premature deaths and many bereaved families left in endless pain. Our act of humility has been a small token of gesture to raise awareness of the destruction happening in Yemen and how we could collectively help and support those families through our charity work and make a real difference to the lives of so many.’
Iram and her friend created a JustGiving page and sent the link to their family and friends who sponsored them to do a 15 km cycle ride in our local park. They completed their bike ride during the October half-term and with the generosity of so many supporters reached their target of £1000 in a short time.
Iram wanted to share this experience as she feels that ‘charity work can enable us to make a positive impact on the lives of others who are not as privileged and who face hardship and challenges such as in Yemen. To me achieving the target has been a personal accomplishment and I hope we can collectively continue to share in acts of humility with each other and make the world a better and a safer place.’
We commend Iram for raising awareness of the plight of children in Yemen and for the work that she has done to support charities helping those children to access a brighter future.
