“Quadratic Expression & Equations”,” Verb Tenses, Direct/Indirect Speech, Letter Writing, Poetry Composition”,” Photosynthesis in Plants, Nutrition in Plants & Animals, Circulatory System”—all subjects we would expect to be taught in high schools around the country. In this context they are actually part of the course syllabus for senior students at Saint Mary Kevin Children’s Home in Uganda and part of a report sent to us this week by Gloria Baker Feinstein, founder of Change the Truth (CTT).

It was Gloria’s trip to Uganda in 2006 that introduced her to this group of children, many of whom were orphaned due to the AIDS outbreak in Africa. Vowing to “change the truth” for these young people, Gloria began CTT which provides funding for food, shelter, clothing, medical needs, education, and more.

The Good People Fund’s grant has made it possible for the senior students to receive intensive tutoring and enrichment classes during holiday periods. Gloria’s recent detailed report has proven to us once again the impact of our funds. We could not be happier knowing that these young people, who had little chance of a bright future, may now go on to college and become self-sufficient, productive members of society.

Did you know there is a web site dedicated to entrepreneurs and their creative ideas?

We were honored to be featured this week on a great site called ideamensch. Check out the article and answer some of the questions we were asked. You will be surprised what you can learn about yourself!

https://ideamensch.com/naomi-eisenberger/

When Jacob Sztokman, founder of Gabriel Project Mumbai (GPM), began his program to address the profound hunger in Mumbai’s slums, he never fully realized  how that effort would eventually evolve. When Shravan Sharma, an 11-year-old boy who died last year due to lack of accessible health care in the slums, Jacob’s very soul was touched. In the world we all know, 11-year-olds just don’t die. It was that event that drove Jacob to find the funds to not only help feed these kids and give them an education but also to provide them with a standard of healthcare not normally found in the slums.

This week, the Shravan Health Clinic opened its doors in the Kalwa slums. A joint venture with Doctors For You, it is expected that children, pre and post-natal moms and others will benefit from this life-saving venture.

We are not surprised. GPM was Jacob’s response to the dire conditions he saw in the slums while on business trips to India. This new clinic was Jacob’s perfectly normal response to the death of a young child for no good reason.  It’s just what Good People do.

The new machines are up and running!

We’ve got three now (shipped to us from Singapore this week) and are excited to scale our impact and produce more soap. We’ve also added a few extra tables, a drying rack and some used furniture (chairs mostly) using your funds. And a fresh coat of paint!

I wanted you to see these pictures before anyone else – so you can know where your money is going and how grateful we feel to have your support. 🙂

This short note and picture arrived this morning and proves once again how quickly our tzedakah dollars can “do some good!” The writer is Erin Zaikis, founder of Sundara, one of our latest grantees whose work focuses on reducing preventable hygiene-related deaths and disease by creating sustainable soap recycling programs for under-served populations worldwide. With hotels throwing away billions of bars of gently used soap annually, Sundara collects those bars before they hit the garbage, cleans, sanitizes and packages them for distribution in conjunction with basic hygiene classes. The bonus? Community members are enlisted to the effort, offered employment and training, and perhaps most important of all, dignity. In the slums of Mumbai where these new machines are now being used nothing could be more important!

We met Hannah Tomaskovic and her Mom last winter at the Barnert Memorial Temple (NJ) Mitzvah Mall when they stopped by to learn more about our work and to discuss ways she could make her upcoming Bat Mitzvah project meaningful.  As you can read in the letter posted here, our conversation with Hannah led to a simple but important project that taught her that even seemingly simple things like soap and toothpaste can have a profound impact on someone’s life, or as Hannah writes, “Helping people, possibly even kids like me, have the items necessary to get clean and feel proud to be clean, is important.”

We connected Hannah to one of our newest programs, Hope and Comfort, started by Jeff Feingold, a Boston-based executive looking for a way to turn his toddler’s upcoming birthday celebration into more of a “giving back” event than the traditional “giving gifts”.  Rather than have guests bring the usual clothing, toys and games Jeff and his wife asked that everyone bring new items that would be donated to a local agency. When the Feingold’s delivered their guests’ generous donations they learned about the shortage of toiletries available to families in need and it was that information that inspired Jeff to begin Hope and Comfort in 2011. Today, the organization not only collects and distributes vital personal hygiene products to local (and national) agencies but also partners with Boston-area schools that offer health classes that focus on personal hygiene as well.

We are proud of what Hannah accomplished with her project and know that the cases of soap and toothpaste she sent to Hope and Comfort will go a long way in helping people “feel proud to be clean.”

Think about the importance of Jeff’s efforts the next time you exit the shower feeling clean and refreshed…pretty good, huh?

Awaad is a 25 year old Eritrean residing in Israel for the past 4+ years. It was not his intention to come to Israel but circumstances were such that this is where he ended up. Awaad left his homeland at the age of 17 to avoid the draft (which is essentially a lifetime of slavery in that country) and successfully crossed the border to Sudan. He lived in a refugee camp in Sudan for 2 years and dreamed of crossing the Mediterranean to Europe and perhaps to North America.

While in the refugee camp in Sudan he (like many others) was kidnapped by Bedouins and taken to Sinai where he was held hostage for a ransom of $13,000 which was eventually paid by family and friends, but not before he was tortured as is typically done to those they kidnapped. After six months, he was released at the Israeli border in Sinai where he was picked up by the IDF and transferred to an Israeli prison in the Negev.

After three months in prison he was dropped off by the IDF on the streets of South Tel Aviv where he discovered a friend from home who took him in and helped him settle in Israel.

While never intending to come to Israel this is where he ended up and began to make a life, working and supporting himself while living with friends. If returned to Eritrea, he would be either punished severely or likely receive the death penalty for having deserted.

Approximately two weeks ago  Awaad was walking down the street near his home in B’nei Brak when he was accosted by a young Israeli who shouted at him and told him he would get a knife and come back and kill him. Indeed, within a few minutes the assailant returned with a butcher knife and struck out at Awaad’s neck. Throwing his arms up in defense, the knife severed his hand from his arm. The assailant fled, but an elderly woman who saw the entire attack from her window promptly called the police and rushed to his side. Awaad had the presence of mind to apply pressure to stop the bleeding and was transported to Tel Hashomer Hospital where surgeons successfully reattached his hand in an eleven hour surgery (with costs covered by the doctors and the hospital).

It took two weeks for the media to report this assault. When Gideon Ben Ami who runs his small food retrieval program in Tel Aviv heard the news he immediately visited Awaad and promised to help. Gideon has consulted with hospital social workers, doctors, refugee organizations and others and today Awaad received his first physical therapy session. Miraculously, doctors are heartened to see that he has sensation in his fingers. He was released from the hospital this afternoon and Gideon has brought him to his own apartment believing (justifiably so) that Awaad’s old neighborhood is no longer safe with the assailant residing nearby.

While Awaad’s roommates search for another apartment he will remain with Gideon. We have pledged to provide support for some of the following needs as identified at this time: Awaad’s share of the rent (once an apartment is secured), moving costs, transportation to and from the hospital for therapy, food and other incidentals for as long as it takes for him to resume working in a suitable job. The Ministry of Health has been petitioned to cover the cost of the physical therapy and Gideon has identified two therapists who have offered their services on a pro bono basis once the hospital-based therapy ends.

As Gideon wrote earlier, “He is a strong person and has a will to survive. It’s a joy to offer him help.” With Gideon and those he has already enlisted to help we have no doubt that Awaad will eventually recover physically, find a job that can accommodate his new reality and hopefully find peace.

Can you help us help Awaad? Any tzedakah donated will be used for his needs until he is able to regain his independence.