The Most Amazing Day

 The Most Amazing Day

Today all 7 of the ENP interns had the most amazing experience, and got to go to Beer Sheva to visit one of the after school programs, and meet some of the girls who attend them! 

When the girls first got into the classroom, it was clear that not only were they excited to have us here, but that they were also very shy. So the first thing we did was give a round of introductions, and play some icebreaker games. We played a numbers game, and then charades. Silly, fun games that got everyone excited to hang out with each other. 

From there we all hung out as if we had been friends for years. We talked about hobbies, interests, dogs, families, friends, favorite music and tv shows, and so much more. When we asked the girls about what they want to be when they grow up, they listed off careers such as biologist, doctor, singer, fashion designer (one of the girls is even making her own clothes already!), and so much more. Hearing about these girls' passions was so inspirational. They all had such deep, rich, and passionate dreams. They were clearly fighters. Every girl said that they struggled with at least one subject, such as English or Mathematics. But it was so clear that this didn’t stump them at all. They all claimed that English was difficult, yet spoke to us in English the whole time (their third language).

As the day went on, we started taking selfies and making tik toks of us dancing. We taught each other new dances, and it was so much fun learning about each other. I started taking out girls for individual interviews, to get to know them on a more personal level. Here is where I really fell in love with these students. They told me stories of feeling inspired to learn more, of wanting to have a full beautiful life, and being thankful for the after school programs they got to go to. Many of them have siblings who are also in ENP programs, and how their parents are happy they are learning and succeeding. Most of them came to Israel when they were little and don’t remember it very well. But one girl had just come to Israel not even a year ago. 

I asked the girls questions about their favorite foods, where they want to travel, what they want to be when they grow up and much more. Seeing their eyes light up when they talk about wanting to experience Latin America and the United States was so beautiful. These girls have such huge dreams and passions, and I’m so thankful I got to talk to them one on one.

My first interview was with a young lady named Betty, who was so passionate about her studies and traveling to Latin America. The last question I asked her was “what is something you want people to know about you?” She reached for her phone to translate it into English, as she didn’t know the word in Hebrew. I was waiting for her to say either a funny talent, or something weird and quirky about her. When she showed me her phone of what she wanted to say about herself, it read “I’m very honest.” This was the most beautiful thing I had ever read. Betty has had such a crazy and beautiful journey, and is so smart and driven to do good in the world. And honesty is one of the most amazing qualities a person can have. These girls go through so much, most of them being newcomers to Israel and not knowing where they fit in. Not knowing the native language, and not knowing English. It is not uncommon for Ethiopian immigrants (especially youth) to struggle to succeed. So seeing Betty say that she was passionate, driven, and honest, it warmed my heart.

This to me brought it home as to why ENP does what it does. It’s for the girls who are dreamers and want to remain dreamers. They want a beautiful life and they are so able to go for it. ENP gives them the inspiration and push to do it. There is no doubt in my mind that these girls will achieve amazing things, and ENP is what gets them there.