ESRA Scholarship Students 2011-12: Chen, Negist, Noami, Roman, Asneke and Elad

Members of ESRA involved in the Students Build a Neighborhood project in Hefzibah, Netanya, received a wonderful welcome when they met the students who were receiving an annual stipend.

The informal gathering was held in an apartment where three female Ethiopian students live. The apartment is bright and attractively decorated, primarily due to the students’ own efforts and personal touches. The students wanted their ESRA visitors to understand something of their background and prepared a traditional coffee ceremony, covering the coffee table with long grasses and setting out a plate of Ethiopian bread called 'dabo,' which had been baked by one of the mothers, a large bowl of popcorn, cookies and a tray with small china coffee cups.

In Ethiopian homes it is customary to prepare freshly ground coffee at home at least three times a day, and again if guests arrive. After presenting the roasted beans for everyone to sample their aroma, the students ground the coffee and then served it unsweetened in the small cups, along with the food. The students also showed a movie of traditional Ethiopian music and dance which had been made in Gondar and featured the agricultural lifestyle that had been typical for the Jews.

During the evening, each of the students, two of whom are now in their fourth year in the project, explained what they were planning to do for their individual assignments. Although largely emanating from their own initiative, the students’ special projects were agreed upon with Jacki Edry, the professional coordinator of Students Build a Neighborhood.

We heard about wonderful ideas for individual projects to benefit children and the wider community, including a monthly newsletter on the project, a modern dance group, a series of talks on adolescence for girls that would provide the opportunity of asking questions anonymously, with answers given the following week, and a weekly bulletin on important national and world events from corresponding weeks in history.

In a general discussion that followed, one of the students, who is studying law, commented that one day he expected to be earning a good salary. When that happens, he plans not only to help other students financially, but also to be around to offer them advice and assistance. This is typical of both past and present students in the project, but it was a heartwarming moment which brought spontaneous applause from everyone else in the room.

After a stimulating and very informative evening, the ESRA visitors left with renewed admiration for these dedicated students and their coordinator, who are making a real difference in the quality of life in the one-time "no-go" neighborhood of Hefzibah. ESRA is currently subsidizing the rent for five apartments in Hefzibah, which house a12 students from the project. Each student provides a minimum of six hours per week to tutor three or four children from the local school. They assist the children with their schoolwork, give advice on their problems generally, and improve their social skills. The results during the five years the project have been running have been nothing short of sensational, with the whole of the Hefzibah district benefiting and experiencing an improved level of living.

Following their first year of involvement with the Students Build a Neighborhood project, students qualify to receive an annual stipend from ESRA, in addition to rental subsidy, to assist with their expenses and to enable them to devote more of their own time to the project. This year, six of the twelve students have received stipend awards and they are participating in the initiation of the new idea mentioned above that all the scholarship students undertake a special project of their own.