We did well!

The event was a huge success with Swim With Gaza events in 45 locations around the world, from sunrise in New Zealand in the East to sunset in Hawaii in the far West 24 hours later, from Cape Town in the South to Canna Island in the Scottish Hebrides in the North.

We live-streamed the event from Gaza from 5 locations that were in the water the same time as Gaza. Around 70 Swam With Gaza in the Lido on Hampstead Heath on 26th.

We had solidarity Swims With Gaza from Palestinians in Yaffa, Bethlehem, Shatila Camp in Lebanon and Palestinians in the diaspora. A planned swim in a pool in Jenin could not happen as all their energies are going into rebuilding the camp after the recent Israeli attack. 

The annual Swimming Carnival in Gaza, with hundreds of children who have just learned to swim, was brought forward to coincide with the international Swim With Gaza in late August.

We funded a full swimming course for 125 children whose parents could not afford to pay for the lessons and it was beautiful to see them all in the water at the Carnival. In all this we work closely with the Tantish Swimming Academy in Gaza. 

We funded a bus to take kids from Silwan in Jerusalem, where they are under constant threat from settlers and the Jerusalem authorities, to Jaffa on the coast. Some of the kids had never seen the sea before though it is just an hour’s drive away. ‘The water is so salty,’ one child commented.

The event was carried on Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Live, the Arabic channel and, as far as we can gauge, very many people in Gaza and the rest of Palestine saw the world-wide support for their survival and their desire to live a normal life like they see elsewhere.

We will be organising a Walk With Gaza in the New Year for anyone who wants to join, which will coincide with the annual walk from Beith Lehia in the north of Gaza to Rafah in the southern border with Egypt. 

We will be organising another Swim With Gaza next summer.