Kiryat Malachi

Opportunities for Assistance:
Make a Difference in Kiryat Malachi

Your support will help create a brighter future for Ethiopian-Israelis in Kiryat Malachi!

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The Challenge

In the Southern District of Israel, 17 kilometers northeast from Ashkelon lies the city Kiryat Malachi. The literal meaning of the city’s name is the City of Angels. The city name is chosen to honor the Jewish community of Los Angeles, California that helped in establishing and developing this town.

Acts of exclusion and educational challenges in Kiryat Malachi

An estimation of 20,900 citizens inhabit this southern city. Among those, 3,258 have Ethiopian origin, a high percentage of around 15.6%. 436 Ethiopian-Israeli inhabitants are between 13 and 18 years old. 

In Kiryat Malachi:

• Ethiopian-Israeli citizens, unfortunately, still experience acts of racism: In January 2012 demonstrations were held by protesters against discrimination of Ethiopian immigrants after housing committees refused to sell apartment to Ethiopians;
• There still exists a gap between Ethiopian-Israeli and non-Ethiopian Israeli citizens, partially due to acts of racism;
• Many families are under the direct care of the welfare authorities;
• The resources available to local schools are more limited, like they are in more periphery cities; consequently, they cannot provide adequate enrichment and sometimes even basic educational support. There is, therefore, a vicious cycle by which economic and social deprivation leads to more limited educational investment, which in turn perpetuates limited achievement and deprivation and impacts the prospects of future generations of children.

ENP's Response

Taking action! ENP’s Scholastic Assistance Program in Kiryat Malachi

Nowadays (2013), 80 kids attend the Scholastic Assistance Program of ENP. This program gives social and educative support not only to the kids but also the rest of the Ethiopian-Israeli community. By providing three different subprograms, the Ethiopian-Israeli community in Kiryat Malachi will have a brighter future:

• ENP’s Scholastic Assistance Program in Kiryat Malachi provides supplementary academic support to strengthen the academic achievements of Ethiopian-Israeli teenagers, and help close the academic gap between them and their non-Ethiopian peers;
• Their community empowerment program creates new Ethiopian-Israeli leadership—involvement of these leaders in addressing the needs of their neighborhood and families decreases tensions between new and veteran immigrants, which benefits the children’s lives and thus the community’s future;
• IDF preparation program provides the youngsters an easier transition into the army after finishing school.

Did you know that…
At the Amit school, the Scholastic Assistance program began only in the middle of the school year, so therefore ENP implemented a special summer program for a week at the end of August for 25 incoming 7th grade students at this school. It was an unforgettable success and the kids had a lot of fun!