A Rewarding and Inspiring Experience

By: Ephrem Hawando

ENP Volunteer

It is certainly rewarding and exciting to volunteer with an organization that is geared towards making an impact by working at the grass roots level. I consider myself even more fortunate to have the unique opportunity of volunteering with Israeli children and youth of Ethiopian decent who are eager to learn and empower themselves in order to effectively integrate into society and claim their rights as responsible citizens of Israel.  Moreover, it is particularly special for me to volunteer with a group of individuals who once shared the same language, culture, history, and traditions as me.

After I arrived to Israel to study in the MA program in International Development at the Hebrew University (see: http://glocal.huji.ac.il/) , the first question that I asked my program coordinator was if she had any information on organizations working among Ethiopians Jews in the Jerusalem area. She gave me some recommendations and in the end, I decided to contact ENP. After my first introductory meeting with them, I knew that I had found the organization I was looking for.  I immediately joined their team and was excited to begin contributing my skillsets to the organization and program. I was first given an orientation, which included a brief introduction with ENP staff, discussion of project goals and target participants, and an overview of how the program helps achieve change and progress within the Israeli-Ethiopian community. After the orientation, I was ready to jump in and begin volunteering.  I found many options where I could possibly contribute:  one is to work with school children by helping with their homework in the after-school programs, giving Amharic and English lessons, assisting in translation between Amharic and English and general assistance at youth centers.

My first ENP`s after school program was in Gymnastica and Givat Gonen schools. I presumed (albeit mistakenly) that they would still speak some Amharic, but I quickly discovered, that most rather spoke fluent Hebrew and very little Amharic or English. I began to wonder if communication between us would be a challenge, but we got together with passion and communicated smoothly with the spirit of oneness.  It was fun to hear students trying to speak some Amharic and Oromignya (another Ethiopian language).  I take that as an encouragement as they seem eager to learn more Amharic and even English, which gives me other ways in which I can contribute and assist these students, and I expect that my volunteer work will be fruitful. However, more in-depth communicating with these students would have been difficult had I not been accompanied by one of ENP`s staff members, who speaks all the three languages perfectly.  With the help of my translator, I introduced myself as an Ethiopian citizen completing an MA at Hebrew University. The students appeared both excited and encouraged. My hope is that I would serve as a kind of role model for these students and show them that they can succeed, achieve and become what he/she has always dreamt to be.  It is worth mentioning that when asked what each one aspires to be, the responses were impressive: a scientist, medical doctor, engineer, mathematician, lawyer, activist, politician and more. Last, I want to extend my gratitude to all ENP staff and all ENP project beneficiaries who made my visit and voluntary work possible. I look forward to continuing to empower and advance the Ethiopian-Israeli community through my volunteer service.