MEET MAYAAN
MAKING POWERFUL, PERSONAL CONNECTIONS When Mayaan was a young boy, living near our sister city of Beit Shean, he never dreamed one day he would be teaching young kids in Cleveland, Ohio about life in Israel. He didn’t have any friends growing up. He would stay home instead of playing with other kids his age. Then, in 5th grade his teacher signed him up for the Cleveland-sponsored program Youth Futures and a 24 year old woman named Susana became his mentor. “For the first time, I had someone to talk to,” he said. "Susana changed my life. Because of Youth Futures, I am not afraid to make friends."
In just 10 years, 300,000+ women have benefited from our Israel Health Advancement for Women (ISHA) program, which provides pioneering solutions for marginalized and underserved women in Israel.
In 8th grade, he had the courage to participate in an exchange program with the Agnon School; in 11th grade he participated in Ambassadors for Unity. And then he became a shin shin – an Israeli emmisary, working with kids in our community. Each year, we invite Israelis to join us in Cleveland, building personal connections. “Today, I have friends all over the world – in Cleveland and in Israel,” he said. His advice to kids is, “Don’t be afraid. Go at your own pace and you will do something great.”
WE BRIDGE CULTURAL DIVIDES.
We fund a program with the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) called Parents and Children Together (PACT), a literacy program for EthiopianIsraeli children that has reduced the kindergarten repeat rate from 48% to 2%.
In one year alone, 400 Youth Futures staff members worked with 12,000 students and their families in 35 communities across Israel. 2014 Annual Report
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