Fourteen year-old Daniel is a student at the Ben Yakir Youth Village. His family, which came to Israel from Ethiopia, lives in a small, crowded apartment in Netanya together with his nine siblings, the youngest of whom is two years old. For the past year; the father has not been working, but has stayed home to take care of his wife, who was dying from cancer: During this time, the family's financial situation deteriorated significantly, and the staff at Ben Yakir decided to help them by purchasing basic supplies such as baby food, flour; sugar; oil etc. for them. Only a week ago, Daniel's mother passed away and the Ben Yakir staff is doing all that they can to support the family through this very trying time.

ISRAEL IS IN CRISIS
Jewish Agency Youth Villages provide residential care and education to the disadvantaged young immigrants and Israeli-born youngsters who are caught in the cycle of poverty. The students receive a roof over their heads, nutritious hot meals, general health care, supplemental and counseling services together with a good, general education to help them break out of the cycle of poverty, raise their self-image and build a better future for themselves. In these difficult times, the villages have been extending extra help to the students, providing them with clothing, school supplies, pocket money and even sending food packages to the families.

The children enrolled in these youth villages come from families exhibiting a variety of household difficulties such as domestic violence, neglect or drug abuse. A number of children are orphaned of either one or both parents. Others come from broken homes or dysfunctional families. Many have suffered abuse and violence. Upon admission to the youth village, many of the children are illiterate and suffer from attention and learning disorders. In many cases their problematic behavior is a cover for low self-image or a lack of self-confidence. Over a two - or three - year period these children, who have acute learning disabilities, are nurtured, cared for, educated and provided with the tools needed to become well adjusted, productive adults. Without the remedial care that they receive at the Youth Villages, these youngsters stand little or no chance of completing high school or enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces and would probably end up on the streets, trapped in the perpetual cycle of poverty.

Keren Hayesod supports four JAFI Youth Villages: Ramat Hadassah, Ben Yakir, Kiryat Yearim and Hadassah Neurim.