May 11, 2011: SOS Israel has recently opened a new center to help needy Bedouin children in Galilee, in northern Israel. The center will offer after-school care to children in Tabash, a village in the Yizrael Valley (or Emek Yizrael).
Tragic loss was the impetus for the new initiative to help vulnerable Bedouin children in Israel. A number of years ago, a boy named Amer suffered a fall that left him severely injured and debilitated. For three years his mother cared for him in her home, outfitting a large room for this purpose. Despite her ministrations, Amer died.
Moved by the tremendous love and support that the community had given them during those years, Amer’s parents decided to give back. Jazala and Ataf Chalaf turned the spacious room in which they nursed Amer into an SOS Children's Villages after-school program for local children. The lucky kids who get to attend -- there’s already a waiting list -- will find help with homework, organized play activities, and a home-cooked meal.
“I consider myself more like their mother than their teacher,” explained Jazala Chalaf, who has offered far more than a room in her home. “I spend hours talking to the children’s parents to make sure we are really providing the kind of assistance that will help them close the gap with their peers. Some come from extremely deprived conditions and our program is their only hope. Seeing them making progress and becoming happier children gives me the energy and desire to keep on giving,” she said.
The project in Tabash is another example of how SOS is contributing on a grassroots level to strengthen communities in Israel and around the world.
Want to get involved? Make a donation to SOS Children's Villages now to give hope to children in Israel.
