·   WHO WE ARE

Rafi, Tal, Carmel, Elyassaf, Idan, Achinoam, Talia and Bar - eight former Israeli army officers in our early twenties. Our desire to help others runs especially deep, and our experience and training has enabled us to contribute with precision and intelligence.

We bring the soul and vision of people who aim to do good, wherever we can… in this case, in Malindi, Tanzania.

OUR STORY

As is the norm when Israelis complete their army service, each of us embarked on a significant trip in the hopes of finding some quiet relaxation in various corners of the globe. As fate would have it, some of us found ourselves in a remote village in the Tanzanian mountains, hiking and enjoying the lush greenery. The locals met us with warmth, happiness, intelligence, and an incredibly welcoming attitude! Our Malindi experience was both extraordinary and humbling.

After only a few days, what struck us most profoundly was the impoverished state and harsh living conditions in which our new friends lived. In particular, the condition of the schools and education system as a whole. How could we not act?

Collectively, we immediately agreed that we had to take action. We were quietly determined to return as soon as possible with the funds needed to improve Malindi’s school facilities, thereby creating the right conditions to enable Malindi’s children to exit the cycle of poverty through education.

Classrooms are crumbling, and there is no electricity and no running water at all throughout the school. Each class has approximately 100 students, far too many for anyone to get the attention they need. These conditions are unforgiving, with five students cramped onto a bench designed for two. As a result of this impossible learning environment and the lack of even the most elementary learning conditions, only 2% of all students pass the middle school transition tests.

On our flight home we began hatching project plans and envisioning the eventual non-profit organization that would be born from this endeavour. We were determined to make a difference for these children.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

We returned to Israel and immediately raised funds from family and friends who supported our proposal. However, when we returned to Malindi a few months later, we realized the scope of our project was much greater than we had anticipated.

There were greater problems at hand. Primarily, a lack of clean water.

Simply put, Malindi’s water is contaminated and unsuitable for drinking. Residents are prone to walking up to 5 kilometres to reach a water source, which is unfortunately also contaminated by Salmonella typhi bacteria. Consequently, 70% of patients in the Malindi medical clinic are eventually diagnosed with Typhoid Fever (the bacterium found in the water). Of those, 75% are children.

We can’t improve the education until we prevent the children from dying!

Our Water Solution:

A project is being undertaken in cooperation with the regional water authority to excavate and install a system of underground pipes and filtration from the local aquifer to Malindi. A central valve will be placed in the village, with a branch line running to the school. All work will be handled pro bono by the villagers.  When completed, the project will supply clean water for 3,000 people 

SO, HERE’S OUR PLAN

·       We have already begun renovating the first of what we hope will be many schools in the district! With the unsolicited help of our new local friends, we’ve torn down walls, reinforced foundations, painted classrooms, and refurbished previously unusable buildings – including adding basic washrooms. 

·       We’re going to continue bringing the schools to a state at which basic learning conditions are met.

·       At the same time, we are laying the foundations for basic water infrastructure both to the school and the village at large. Clean, drinkable running water will immediately improve the health and welfare of Malindi’s 3,000 residents.

WHY WE NEED YOU!

Although we can make tremendous strides here in Malindi on a shoestring budget, we absolutely need added support to finish the project. Plain and simple, in order to implement our basic project plans, we need to raise another ₪ 35,000 (approximately $10,500 USD).

Our initial estimations were focused on school renovations and physical improvements of the school grounds. We did not anticipate the need to upgrade the water systems for the entire area.

WE’RE ALMOST THERE!

At the risk of sounding cliché… ANY donation you can make will be incredibly helpful in getting us to the finish line.

We will not leave Malindi until we’ve completed every last task, whether that means installing the water solution all the way to the last tap, fixing broken desks, obtaining school uniforms for those without, or gentrifying the school grounds so the kids have a place to play.

Your donation will help us get there!

Please donate today.