From the diary of Jeffrey Appel:

“Tuesday 25 June started early with a pick up from Keren Hayesod UIA to visit three projects supported by UIA Australia. Attending the projects and seeing the amazing work which is undertaken is so inspiring. If we could only take each donor and each potential donor on a personal tour, there would be no difficulty in raising the much needed funds to keep these and many more projects alive.
First we went to Kiryat Ye'arim Youth Village in Abu Gosh. The Village houses 130 children aged 13 to 17 or 18 who for one reason or another are simply not able to stay with their own families. These young people would, but for the ability to access the Village and others like it spread throughout Israel, be on the streets, in crime or in jail.
We were introduced to an exceptional lady, the head of the Village, Amira, who has been in charge for the past 3 years. She comes with an educational background and speaks so lovingly of the students. To her they are her children. As we walked around the Village you couldn’t but notice how she spoke to each one of the students she passed, & touched them. She spoke lovingly & caringly to them & about them. We were told that the kids there are not bad and don’t come from a bad home. They have just had it tough, that circumstances have led them on the wrong path. She was so happy to tell us that these kids under her care, who had no desire to study, now want to learn, want to matriculate, want to go to the army. They want to belong and after their life changing opportunity at the Village, they can achieve their dreams. This was a village for boys & girls, whereas Ben Yakir (where we went some weeks ago for the annual Bar Mitzvah party) was a village for religious boys only.
From there we travelled a short distance to Mevasseret Zion Absorption Centre.
Sue said that this is the place where Ross and Vivi went when
they came to Israel some 40 years ago and lived for some months learning Hebrew, before moving onto the Kibbutz. At that time, the centre catered for Australians & other English speakers. Now the Centre is totally devoted to Olim from Ethiopia . We went into a craft room where older people were doing arts and craft in the traditional Ethiopian style. We went to a class room and saw some 18 younger adults learning Hebrew. ( I seriously thought I should join in, but when told they do
this for 5 hours a day, I decided maybe next time we visit ). Then we went to the kindergarten and saw a bunch of gorgeous kids at play and in class.
The people living at the Centre reside there for up to two years learning all life and social skills. They come with nothing, to a
land with a different language, different culture, & nothing the same. They are encouraged and cared for & taught from scratch how to live in a modern society.
Our last visit was to Har Choma, Kiryat Moriah Educational Centre where the Youth Futures Program is in operation. This program is an initiative of the Jewish Agency in collaboration with the Government and funded by KH, UIA. An amazing program that takes kids in the school system who have
issues and helps them and their family to address and blend into the school and society. The Young leaders of the program are referred to as Mentors. There are presently 16 Mentors each working with 16 kids, working in the Jerusalem elementary school system. The aim is to help a child and family whilst young, so that they don’t end up on the street . An
inspirational project and one that even though only 5 years old, is making a real difference to the lives of these children and their families.
We left feeling very humbled by our visit and with the knowledge that the work we do for UIA and the money which is donated, is truly making a difference to the lives of so many.”