Reaching out: How Yogafest Middle East is helping Palestinian children

In many parts of the world, tranquillity, healing and relaxation are considered vital ingredients for a balanced life, but for the children of Gaza, these three things are as foreign as a world without the memory of air strikes, gunfire and mass destruction.

The youngsters in Gaza and the West Bank are the innocent victims of the conflict that has plagued the region in recent years and they’ve become the face of the crisis internationally – some have lost their homes, others their families and some have been maimed or forced to battle illness in harsh conditions.

For these children, every day is a personal battle to stay healthy. Thousands of them are working to repair the psychological damage caused by the devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Fortunately, organisations like the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund dedicate themselves to healing the wounds of war, occupation and poverty for children in the Middle East.

This year, Elaine Kelly, the founder of this weekend’s Yogafest Middle East, and her team have taken a particular interest in the plight of those children caught up in the conflict and have joined forces with PCRF to raise Dh100,000 to assist in the healing efforts.

“I was really moved by what happened in Gaza this past year, and I wanted to do something to help the children who are the real victims of this ongoing struggle,” Kelly says.

“PCRF is such an amazing organisation and so well organised that it makes it really easy to help them. I have set up a donation page on their website where anyone who attends can donate Yogafest.”

Original article by Melinda Healy

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Reaching out: How Yogafest Middle East is helping Palestinian children