12/10/2024
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Check out the posts on South Dakotans for Israel where they are putting up information on Israeli NGO's who are providing humanitarian assistance to less fortunate countries. Please like and follow their page and share with your friends.
Another Israeli NGO providing assistance for the less fortunate that goes unnoticed is IraAID. Below is a sample of what they do looking at one day in the life of one of their employees in Kenya. You can learn more about IsraAID at their website: https://www.israaid.org/ You can also find a link to donate as well.
A Day in the Life: Supporting teens in Kenya
At IsraAID Kenya, this year we opened our very first adolescent-friendly space – which serves teens from both the refugee and host community in Kakuma, Kenya. Kakuma is home to the country’s second-largest refugee camp, as well as the Turkana host community. Young people in Kakuma often have little access to support, and many women and girls face issues of gender-based violence. Bagoya Khadija Yusuf is a project manager with IsraAID who helped establish the adolescent-friendly space and she is also the focal point for the prevention of Gender-Based Violence at IsraAID Kenya.
“I usually wake up at 5:30 am. I start my day with prayer, reflect on the day ahead and get ready to be at work at 8:00 am,” says Khadija. Originally from Western Kenya, Khadija has two young children – a girl and a boy. After having breakfast with her family and preparing the children for the day, she spends her mornings at the adolescent friendly space. Different groups and activities are held on different days, “On Mondays, for instance, I lead teenage mothers’ sessions focused on life skills, such as weaving and beading. We also have integrated discussions on positive parenting.”
This is one of her favorite parts of her day. “What I enjoy most is interacting with adolescents and children. Their resilience inspires me, and being part of their growth journey is incredibly rewarding. For example, seeing a teenage mother master weaving skills and confidently discussing positive parenting during our sessions motivates me deeply. Similarly, when children open up and share their concerns, knowing they trust me to support them is fulfilling,” she says.
At 10:30 Khadija travels by motorcycle to another community center where she mentors, leads, and supports IsraAID’s community outreach workers – members of IsraAID’s team who are part of the local community and work to support the people around them. As a leader in the team, Khadija helps community outreach workers navigate challenges they encounter in the field, and leads trainings. “When I see the community outreach workers learning new skills and becoming better equipped to handle issues in their areas, I can really feel the impact of my work. It shows the ripple effect of our training and support throughout the community,” she says. Khadija works with the community outreach workers to go over and plan their activities and provide feedback.
At 1:00 PM Khadija takes a break for lunch with her colleagues at the cafeteria in IsraAID’s Kakuma office. One of her favorite lunches is sukuma, a popular green vegetable in Kenya. While her mornings are spent interacting directly with the community, her afternoons are spent pulling all that experience together and sharing it with other professionals to create accountability, share knowledge, and make sure every day is more impactful than the last.
At 2:00 PM, Khadija writes up reports of the morning’s activities, before joining technical working group meetings at 3:00 PM. By 4:30, she works with the team to prepare materials for the next day.
Khadija starts her journey home at 5:00 PM, traveling by motorcycle, or getting dropped off in one of IsraAID’s vehicles. When she gets home, she takes some time for quiet reflection on the day. She shares that some aspects of her work are quite challenging – she’s out in the field in very hot conditions, often around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Often, she has to confront difficult issues like stigma against survivors of gender-based violence. “At the end of the day I feel a mix of exhaustion and fulfillment,” she says. “The challenges are heavy, but knowing I have contributed to someone’s healing and growth brings me peace and satisfaction.”
“I choose this work, every day, because I am passionate about creating a safe and supportive environment for vulnerable people,” she says. “Through IsraAID, I have experienced personal and professional growth,” Khadija adds. “With my training, every day I can be there for survivors of gender-based violence, and other vulnerable people. With my salary, I’ve been able to further my studies. And I’ve seen a personal change in myself. I used to struggle with my temper and occasionally questioned the team I work with. But through leadership training, my approach is more collaborative and supportive.”
Khadija is one of hundreds of IsraAID team members around the world making an impact in over 10 countries. The work she does every day supports thousands of refugees and vulnerable people living in Kenya.
