Bournemouth University graduate and student are walking 500 kilometres for Gaza throughout the month of November, fundraising money for Medical Aid for Palestine.
Friends Esther Porter and Saskia Allard-Burt have planned to walk 250 kilometres each to raise money and awareness for Palestine.
The target of the GoFundMe was £500, with 80 per cent of the goal already being achieved.
When talking about why they decided to begin fundraising Saskia Allard-Burt said: “Behind all the headlines are real people – families, children, doctors – just trying to live.
Palestine deserves humanity, compassion, and medical support like anyone else.”
The friends will be doing roughly 10 kilometres of walking a day in and around Bournemouth.
Esther Porter added: “It’s hard, but I think about why I’m doing it. Whenever I want to stop, I remind myself that there are people who don’t have the luxury to stop – people are struggling for survival. That thought keeps me moving.”
23-year-old Esther Porter is a student at Bournemouth University studying Business Management.
Saskia Allard-Burt is also 23 years old, and she graduated from Bournemouth University this year.
They have planned to walk in places such as St Catherines Hill, the Purbecks and New Forest.
Ms Porter said the reason why they decided to walk was because: “It sort of keeps us grounded. As I have complained about walking before but if you put it into perspective that is the least you can do to help people.”
Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) has served and supported nearly one million people in Gaza through providing health service such as emergency care, primary healthcare and nutrition support.
Feda Shahin, secretary general of the Palestine Solidarity Movement for Bournemouth said: “Certain organisations like Medical Aid for Palestine and the UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency) have been doing great, but they need help to be able to support the people in Gaza.”
When the ceasefire was put in place last month aid trucks were allowed to enter Gaza but after the ceasefire was violated there has been limited access for humanitarian aid.
Ms Porter and Ms Allard-Burt have been posting their walks on their social media pages, and they are hoping to achieve their GoFundMe goal by the end of the month.
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