Wissam Al-Jayyoussi, founder of the “Goodwill Journey,” has embarked on a round the word motorbike trip of 240,000 km to support sick Palestinian children.

Riding on his customized KTM 1190 Adventure R motorbike, Al-Jayyoussi started traveling around the world on a journey that crosses 100 countries. The aim of the 15-month adventure is to raise $2.5 million for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).

The PCRF is a non-political, non-profit organization established in 1991 to provide specialized medical treatment to all needy children in the Middle East, irrespective of religion, gender, nationality or sect. Al-Jayyoussi, a Dubai-based IT professional, will bear the costs of the journey, ensuring all donations and proceeds go toward the cause supporting sick and injured children across the region.

Tell us a bit about the PCRF.

We are a group of enthusiastic individuals from all over the globe that lends a helping hand to heal lives in places torn by war, famine and other perils. Each one of us contributes in a different way according to our professional expertise and related industries, from IT support and advertising to PR and event management. We all join efforts for a bigger objective that bring out a change in the lives of people who need it.

Why did you choose to support the PCRF rather than any other charity?

I was inspired with the great work the PCRF was achieving over the years, treating so many children, giving them smiles and faith again after the suffering they’ve been going through. This is what “Goodwill Journey” is about and my support came naturally.

What do these disadvantaged children generally need the most?

There’s a need for specialized surgery that is not available to them locally. The PCRF locates, sponsors and runs volunteer medical missions in the Middle East in pediatric cardiac surgery, pediatric cardiology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, maxillofacial surgery, pediatric urology, ophthalmology, vascular surgery, pediatric orthopedic surgery, as well as many other specialties. The PCRF also locates free medical care abroad for children who cannot be adequately treated in the Middle East. It is the main organization regularly sending injured and sick Arab children to North and South America, the Middle East and Europe for free care that is not available to them. Since 1991 over 1,000 children have been sent abroad for millions of dollars of donated care through the PCRF.

The charity also helps to improve the quality of medical care in the Middle East by sending medical equipment and supplies to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as training local Palestinian medical personnel to improve the quality of care and services within the public sector.

How did you prepare for the “Goodwill Journey”?

Preparations for such long trips are long and extensive, there are so many factors to be included. We start with the route and the particular route for this trip has grown in one year, from covering only North and South America to riding around the world, an expanse of 240,000 km. Then there is the bike that took a lot of time to prepare. No motorcycles are made to survive this journey on different types of roads. It required a lot of modification and strengthening, then planning spare parts, service points and preparing for undesirable events. The major part of the planning was acquiring all necessary visas. As a Jordanian I was required to get almost 80 visas for this journey. Some have been done in advance and some will have to be completed on the way.

Which part of the journey do you think is going to be the most challenging?

The harsh environment, desert crossings and harsh terrain. The weather is also a big factor in making this difficult, with temperatures ranging from -20°C to +50 °C. And finally the security issue in some countries.

What aspects are you most looking forward to?

Meeting people, making new friends around the globe and of course the most important, raising awareness about the cause and raising funds. In many of the countries I am passing through, people didn’t even know about Palestine.

You’ve already been on other quests for charity, including climbing Mount Pumori and riding a motorbike across 23 countries. Can you share your most memorable moments?

I have been to the birth place of Genghis Khan and Confucius, to the land of prayers and the city of dinosaurs, I have been to cities that have more ‘gods’ than people, battled against sandstorms and defeated snow storms and ridden in 50 °C and in -10 °C. I ate what I previously considered a pest and learned where dogs are considered lunch rather than pets. I have been in villages with families of women and men with no families. I have seen men in skirts and women in pants, slept between wolves and woke up between soldiers and heard all languages.

Plus I have lost some friends and won others; I have ridden my bike where Alexander the Great rode his horse, saw the sun at midnight and the moon at midday. I have seen poverty in its worst forms and happiness in its greatest. I had people wave to me and others spit at me and have seen rooms for death and life. I got lost in deserts and crashed in forests. I have seen the highest bridge in the world and rode on the highest roads on Earth. I felt hunger and pain, I laughed and shed tears. I got closer to God and myself, but most importantly I have made sure all of these places know about Palestine and her children.

Have you always loved travel? Which countries are you most excited about crossing?

Traveling was always my, you can call it obsession. When you visit different places, different cultures, different people then you really think and contemplate about life and the world we live in, it drives you to make difference in this world. Every country has its splendors, but as an adventurous person the more challenging the more exciting.

Do you have any future adventures in mind?

It is difficult not to think about what’s next at this point. You need to keep people interested and keep your self challenged. But we are still early into this trip; the ideas usually come while I am riding, so I am looking forward to new adventures while I am riding through this one.

For more information about the mission, or how to support the PCRF and “The Goodwill Journey,” please visit the website www.pcrf.net and www.goodwilljourney.org

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