JEDDAH, 4 August 2006 — Voluntary charity work is the passion of Ansaf Bagedo, a Saudi woman who organized a car rally in Paris to raise funds for the British Cancer Research Organization in July, the Okaz daily reported yesterday.
Bagedo, who has a master’s degree in international relations from the American University in London, devotes her time spreading the message of peace and understanding with other cultures and people.
She began at a hospital in Jeddah and then moved to London to pursue her studies. She has also been working in the Cancer Research Center. She has been associated with Bagstone charity racing. A number of Arab and non-Arab sportsmen and artists participated in the 3,200-mile race that started from Paris and passed across nine European cities over 11 days.
Bagedo dismisses the image of a submissive and uninterested Saudi woman, who could never be imagined to be a racer in a foreign land, saying, “I have loved cars since my childhood and I have followed all the car rallies and race events ever since. When that love coupled with the charity work, I had the idea of organizing a car rally to raise funds for the cancer research ignoring the region for which I did it.”
She organized it for the benefit of the British Cancer Research Organization.
Bagedo added, “I also intended to reveal the true picture of the Arab people and send the message of peace and cultural relations with the European society through it. I believe that I have succeeded in scoring more points for Saudi women outside the Kingdom in this way besides helping the cancer patients.”
