ENP identifies the most pressing needs facing the Ethiopian-Israeli community and takes action to publicly address and overcome these challenges through strategic, targeted and effective programs, taking action where action is needed most. By 2008 ENP's impact has been enormous… bringing to a stop and reversing negative trends, such as dropout rates, delinquency and flat college attendance with thousands of Ethiopian Israeli students.

Ethiopian Israelis face singular and remarkable difficulties, starting with the extraordinary adjustment from life in a predominantly agrarian society to the modern, technology based society that is today's Israel. After that the problems just mount. On average, they experience a higher incidence of unemployment, poverty, substance abuse and family violence than the general population. In 2004 it was clear that extensive assistance was needed to fully integrate Ethiopian Israelis into Israeli society and to be successful, the community itself had to be involved in both designing and implementing that assistance. Also clear was the urgency to work with teens before a significant part of a whole generation was lost. In 2004 the Ethiopian National Project was launched.

The Ethiopian National Project (ENP) was created as a joint effort between the Israeli government, World Jewry and the Ethiopian-Israeli community to provide every Ethiopian-Israeli with the opportunity to integrate successfully into Israeli society and make a difference as an individual. ENP is unique regarding its approach to involve the Ethiopian Israelis as active participants in working towards a solution rather than just as beneficiaries. Members of the Ethiopian-Israeli community are the initiators, the implementers and the role models for ENP programs. ENP identifies the most pressing needs facing the Ethiopian-Israeli community and takes action to publicly address and overcome these challenges through strategic, targeted and effective programs, taking action where action is needed most.

The Ethiopian National Project provides educational and social opportunities to help Ethiopian Israeli teenagers ages 13-18 to realize their full potential. This is being accomplished through key programs such as Scholastic Assistance, Youth Outreach Centers, Army Preparation Programs, School Mediators, Parent Workshops, Drug and Alcohol Prevention Programs, Leadership Development Programs and University Scholarships. During the first year in 2005 ENP reached 1,300 youth in six cities. By 2007/8 ENP directly supported 7,500 youth in 27 locations throughout Israel. ENP works in collaboration with various organizations in the area of education and community empowerment to implement its programs.

Even with all this success, ENP is struggling to meet its mission… serving only 6,500 out of 16,000 students who could benefit from its programs. And going into a new 2008-09 school year, programs for 3,000 of the currently funded kids are in jeopardy. Now more than ever Israeli companies, foundations and individuals have an opportunity to make a significant difference in making sure these teens are not left behind by becoming a part of the ENP Effect.

print Email article to a friend
Rate this article 
 

Post a Comment




Related Articles

 

About the author

Tracey Shipley

Tracey Shipley was born in Cleveland Ohio and lived there until she was 15 when she moved with her family to Orlando Florida. She has a degree is in Art Therapy from Empire State College. She is a ...
More...

Script Execution Time: 0.031 seconds-->