Mission to Hadera

By -
By Hannah Miller
ENP Volunteer
Jersusalem

During the past three weeks that I’ve volunteered at ENP, I have spent my time both in the office and working with kids in camps and outreach centers.  Last Wednesday, I went on a mission to Hadera and met with people on a Tuscon Federation trip and teens in ENP programs.  All of the kids at the mission were on summer vacation, so I was surprised that they showed up and were so welcoming to the tourists.  They appeared my age, and I thought that if an adult at my school asked me to come in during the summer, I’d find an excuse to say no.  I asked a few of the boys why they decided to come in that day and they all replied that they wanted to help out.  I realized that these teens are so much more appreciative of their school than most people their age because of the programs offered to them through ENP.  Two girls I spoke to, Imbar and Bat El, told me about all of their academic achievements they accomplished with the help of ENP.  They were each 16 and in the five point math.  They told me they previously struggled in math and received low B’s, but once they received the help and attention they needed, they earned high A’s.  They both hope to work in High Tech in the future and are studying practical engineering.  The girls are so grateful for ENP and with the necessary extra help they receive, they are now able to excel in school.  Seeing how appreciative these girls are of their education and the opportunities given to them, makes me realize that I need to stop complaining about my long nights of homework and summer reading and focus more on the opportunities that I am given but have taken for granted.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interning at ENP: Translating Books, Teaching Surfing, and Singing Hatikva

By -
Image
     I’m Sacha Toberoff, a summer intern at Ethiopian National Project (ENP) through the Columbia/Barnard Hillel Onward program. I’m studying history and political science at Columbia University. I grew up in a secular Jewish home in Malibu, California. I’ve always had a strong connection with my cultural background and recognized the importance of Israel, as my Safta grew up here. This is my first time in Israel and I have been delighted to connect with the land of my ancestors. I chose to intern with ENP because it is doing pivotal work to support the Ethiopian Israeli community by sponsoring scholarships and hosting leadership and English language programs. I have a background in service and legal work and am excited to bring these skills to ENP. Before coming to ENP, I knew little about the struggles of the Ethiopian Jewish community making Aliyah. For many years, they dreamed of returning to Israel, and when it was finally possible it took tremendous effort and sacrifice to make t
Read more

Interview with Roni Akale

By -
Roni Akale is the first to share his story in our breathtaking project, #ENPeople documenting the lives and stories of different members of the ENP community. This project was created by our amazing intern Noa, a very talented photographer and storyteller. Noa photographs her subjects proceeding an interview about the subject's life and experiences. Over the next couple of months, Noa will be interviewing and photographing a variety of members in the ENP community including students, parents, and administrators in the organization. Noa hopes to amplify the voices of the Ethiopian Israeli community through a platform that highlights the strength and resilience of her interviewees. She hopes readers are inspired become mindful about their actions and resources so they can do more to help Ethiopians in Israeli society feel welcomed, supported, and heard. Read Roni's story below: “I was born in a Jewish village called Woinya. I was a shepherd. When I was six, my parents decided
Read more

An Interesting Session with Two SPACE Students

By -
By Gainya St Clair ENP Volunteer Today I went to the boys' school where I am volunteering for the third time. I worked with two 12 year-old kids that I have never met before—David and Shlomo. The boys are actually related- David  is the uncle of Shlomo. They told me they do not like to tell other kids this, though, because they find it strange. During the session, I had a very hard time engaging David. He was working on a math assignment from a very strict teacher who assigns a lot of homework. I got him to do a few small activities in English, but overall he was uninterested. Shlomo was also working on the math homework, but he was more interested in practicing his English. He is at a much higher level than David; although his grammar is not perfect, Shlomo can fully communicate in English. He quickly zoomed through the lesson and practice exercises I had prepared, so we just spoke in English for the remainder of the time, and I corrected his grammar when necessary.
Read more