Autism is fast becoming one of the common conditions that affect young children around the world. Many activities are being undertaken by people to create more awareness about it.

A group of Qatar-based fathers are doing their bit to promote awareness of the disease by undertaking a 28,000km motorbike ride across 26 countries and three continents — Asia, Europe and North America, reported The Peninsula.

Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Renad Academy recently organised a welcome function for the group of fathers, who aim to raise money to promote autism awareness.

“Autism is very close to our hearts. Nine out of 10 families don't have adequate knowledge of how to deal with autistic children. Most people look at autism as a disease or some kind of sickness rather than a condition that can be dealt with,” World Autism Ride founder Jassim Al Maadeed told Qatar Tribune.

“As autism ambassadors for Qatar, we're ready to go through the ultimate test by travelling the world on motorcycles. We believe that helping people comes first, especially those who can't and will never ask for help. They need us to stand up for them and to raise awareness about autism,” he added.

The World Autism Ride is billed as the world’s largest motorbike ride. The ride, which will begin from the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs in Doha, is expected to start in the presence of more than 2,000 people including autism supporters and families of autistic children.

Al Maadeed said the ride will be completed over 3.5 months. Starting from Qatar, the riders will move to Saudi Arabia and then to Jordan, The Netherlands and Washington DC and then California to Toronto. They will then travel from California to Japan, through Asia to Turkey and then back to Qatar.

There will be 12 members in the team. While four of them will be bike riders, the others will be from the government and other logistical partners.

Picture courtesy: The Peninsula