6 Weeks is Not Enough: My Short (but Amazing) Time at ENP

By -
My name is Nathan. I'm an intern here at Ethiopian National Project. I don't feel like an intern, though - I feel like one of the staff members. From Day 1 I was greeted and treated like a staff member, and because of that, I acted like one.

Every morning I come into work, say "Shalom" to everyone - Chen, Roni, Ariela, Grace, the interns (in that order) - and sit myself down for my daily reading: the first couple pages of the ENP Mid-Year Report.

In those first few pages, the report outlines the mission of ENP, the needs of the Ethiopian-Israeli community, and what is being done to meet those needs. My favorite part is the letter from the Prime Minister of Israel's Office: "The Government of Israel will commit to ENP the following: 17.8 million NIS per year for four years," the letter reads. It continues "this investment requires matching from the Diaspora Jewish organizations."

"So we have to raise 17.8 million shekels?!" I think. "Yes. Boom, now I know what my job is. Let's get to work."

As the videographer for ENP, my job is to make compelling videos that communicate ENP's mission to Diaspora Jewry. The hope is that after seeing the video, people will be moved emotionally or intellectually (or both, hopefully) to contribute to our cause: the full and successful integration of Ethiopian-Israelis into Israeli society.

I work with the conviction that I am making a difference. I can see the potential in the work I do as I'm doing it: I make a video, the video gets viewed by donors, the donors contributes funds to ENP, ENP is able to provide SPACE to Ethiopian-Israeli students for free, the students gain better prospects for their futures through the academic and social support they receive from SPACE, and eventually they go on to higher positions in the army, the university, and the workforce.

One child at a time, ENP is fulfilling it's mission to the beautiful Ethiopian-Israeli community, and over these past 6 weeks, I've had the honor to help them do it. I'll never forget my time here, and I will truly miss everyone and everything about ENP.

Yalla, bye.

Nathan

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