Cyclists Ride from London to Amsterdam to Raise Funds for Children in Indonesia

Six cyclists from the Ride for Indonesia community took on a charity ride from London to Amsterdam between 22 and 25 September 2023, raising funds for orphans and underprivileged children in Indonesia.

The team, Pluto Gasanova, Eastman Rivai, L. Wahyuhansudi, Muhammad Y. Helmy, Dimas Ferdiansyah, and Ferdi Endinanda, cycled across England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands as part of the initiative.

“There are many ways to raise funds for humanitarian causes. Since we enjoy cycling, we thought, why not turn it into something meaningful? London was a natural starting point as we’re based here, while Amsterdam was chosen as the finish line because it’s known as Europe’s cycling capital,” said Gasanova, who is also known as Nova.

The charity ride was organised in collaboration with the UK-based humanitarian organisation Human Aid Initiative (HAI), with support from Telkom Indonesia, Bank Mandiri, Bike to Work, and the Indonesian Students Association in London.

HAI Director Nurani Susilo said the organisation fully supports the initiative, noting that many children in Indonesia still need help, particularly in accessing education and healthcare. Through its Sponsor a Child programme, HAI encourages donors to provide regular monthly support for orphans and disadvantaged children.

“Currently, around 100 children are being supported through the programme, while another 300 are still on the waiting list, hoping for support from donors,” she said. The annual contribution per child is £300, which helps cover food, education, healthcare, and after-school activities.

One of the cyclists, Eastman Rivai, explained that the route began in London, continued to Calais in France, then on to Bruges and Breda, before finishing in Amsterdam.

Another Ride for Indonesia member, Wahyu Hansudi, said the London–Amsterdam ride builds on earlier charity cycling initiatives that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve previously cycled from London to Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton, and along the south coast of England,” he said, adding that those efforts raised hundreds of millions of rupiah to support communities in Indonesia affected by the pandemic.

“We’re planning to expand beyond the London–Amsterdam route in the future—possibly reaching other cities across mainland Europe,” Wahyu added. Some of the cyclists have also taken part in competitive cycling events in Indonesia, Singapore, and Scotland.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to take part in this ride from London to Amsterdam. We hope even more children in Indonesia will benefit from what we’re doing,” Nova said.