Noa+M

IFaces 2012 toc = = **Giving in Israel and beyond**



**http://tinyurl.com/7vfab2c **

Noa Mishkin

= Save A Child’s Heart in Ethiopia =

Rationale
**Research question** The SACH organization helps many developing countries in the field of pediatric cardiac care. What do these countries lack, and how does the organization make permanent or temporary change in them? I was interested in this question, and so, since I couldn’t write about all the many, many countries the organization helps, I chose Ethiopia as my example.

The 'Save a Child's Heart' organization interested me for a few reasons, mainly because I was amazed that so many trained professionals were willing to put so much time and effort into improving the lives of children with whom they have nothing in common, and no obligations to. Of course, I was also interested to learn about the lives these children lead in their home countries, what medical facilities they lack, and why they need the help of the Israeli organization.
 * Why did I choose this topic? **

Ethiopia
Economy Ethiopia, located in the Horn of Africa (northeastAfrica), is "one of the most populous nations of that continent", with over 80 million people. Though it has experienced economic growth in recent years, its Gross domestic product, per capita, is among the lowest in the world, standing at only $350 (compared to theUnited States’ $48,147 andIsrael’s $32,297).Ethiopia’s economy depends largely on agriculture (mainly coffee exportation): it accounts for 41% of the GDP and 85% of total employment. Unfortunately, frequent droughts have increased urban and rural poverty and crippled crops in many of its regions, and its people are forced to rely on food imports. In 2001, "Ethiopiaqualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative," however, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pardoned it’s debt in 2005. (‘Index Mundi’,Ethiopiademographics profile 2011,TheodoraEthiopiaeconomy)

Health Ethiopiais currently suffering from a severe shortage of medical doctors, only one per 100,000 citizens, and health facilities.Ethiopia's main health problems are "communicable diseases caused by poor sanitation and malnutrition". These problems are increased by the shortage of trained manpower and hospitals. As a result of the spread of AIDS/HIV there is a very low life expectancy of 58 years, as well as a high infant mortality rate of 8%. ('Index Mundi' and 'Wikipedia',Ethiopia, health)

Heart diseases and the SACH organization in Ethiopia
Acquired heart disease, and in particular Rheumatic Heart Disease, is believed to be quite common inEthiopia(as it is in most developing countries). With the prevailing birth rate of 2.9% per year and an estimated incidence of 6-8 per 1,000 live births, "Ethiopiais likely to have 50,000 children born with congenital heart disease every year". The cost for heart operation per person is around 20,000 U.S. dollars, an expense neither the victims of families nor the government are able to afford. ('Nazret', 'Cardiac center opens inEthiopiawith successful surgeries)

SACH’s impact in Ethiopia The Save a Child’s Heart organization has had a large impact on children suffering from cardiac diseases and their families inEthiopia. Aside from performing surgeries on hundreds of children here inIsrael, it has traveled there numerous times to set up cardiology clinics (since 1996 to 2010- ten times). (SACH 2).

Children aided Since the organization was founded in 1995 until the present, 336 Ethiopian children have undergone lifesaving cardiac treatment inIsrael. Many of the children come fromAddis Ababa(Ethiopia’s capital city) and Jimma, or rural areas. The children, who suffer from congenital and rheumatic heart diseases, are treated at theWolfsonMedicalCenterinHolon, and are hosted along with their families at the Children’s Home in Azor. "The children’s ages range from infancy to eighteen years." At the moment, there is only one Ethiopian child being treated in Israel- Hayat Indiris Ahmed, an 8 month old from Jimma.(SACH 2)

Teaching and surgery mission The Save a Child’s Heart organization’s first teaching and surgery mission toEthiopiatook place on September 17, 2000, in cooperation with the Children’s Heart Fund of Ethiopia (CHFE). "The Israeli team consisted of 14 members, two cardiac surgeons, two operating room nurses, an intensive care unit (ICU) doctor, two ICU nurses, a pediatric cardiologist, an anesthesiologist, two dentists, a medical technician and an education coordinator." The cardiology clinic the Israeli team operated was in Addis Ababa, and altogether 36 children were evaluated for surgery and 24 were operated on in the clinic .The rest were brought to Israel for treatment. A dental clinic was held at ZewdituHospitalinAddis Ababato prepare the children for surgery. The first Coumadin clinic inEthiopiawas also established by SACH in association with the Taro Company ofIsraeland Children’s HeartLink of Rochester, Minnesota. Coumadin is a blood thinner medication needed by patients who require heart valve replacements.(SACH 2)



[| http://www.saveachildsheart.org/270-en/Sach.aspx]

I enjoyed learning about the organization and its work, and likewise, aboutEthiopia. SACH's wonderful story inspired me to give from myself.

= Profile =

Rationale
I chose to interview Elana Adams and write my profile about her volunteer work because a classmate of mine told me about her mother who spends most of her time volunteering and giving to her community. I was interested to hear more about her, the organizations she helps out at, and why she dedicates her time to help

Profile of Elana Adams
“If you see something you want taken care of, it’s not going to happen by itself- you need to pick yourself up and do it”, says Elana Adams of her reason for spending so much of her time giving to her community. Elana, a resident of Efrat, is a volunteer in the fullest sense of the word- aside from helping out at various organizations, she also lends a hand whenever needed in numerous projects in Efrat and the Gush Etzion area. She believes that if you want something important and needed added in your environment or community, it is your responsibility to try and achieve it. “You don’t need to take the whole project on yourself- but if someone has a good idea, it’s going to fall apart if no one helps out”. Originally fromNew York, Elana met her husband Gershon while studying in college. They lived inBrooklynuntil their third child was born, after which they made aliya to Neve Tzuf, a small town in the Shomron. A few years later, they moved to Efrat, where they now live, with another three children born inIsrael. Elana has a degree in science, and worked briefly as a dentist’s assistant for a friend in Neve Tzuf, which also demonstrates her willingness to volunteer and the importance of community to her- “It was important to have a dental clinic in the yishuv, so I said ‘I’ll help you, you can train me.’” she says. Now, apart from her volunteering, she helps her husband with his work, stating she does it “ not because I particularly wanted to do it, or because it interested me, but because he needed help”. Elana is very involved in the community life in Efrat and helped get many projects off the ground, including the Women’s Beit Midrash, which offers classes to the women of Efrat and the Gush in many subjects, such as Tanach, Gemara, Jewish Thought, and Chasidut. When her oldest daughter approached bat mitzvah age, Elana decided it was appropriate to have something to prepare girls for their bat mitzvahs, so she brought up the idea to the head of the Women’s Beit Midrash. “I couldn’t find a teacher- that’s not my department, but I said ‘If you find a teacher, I’ll take care of everything else’”. Elana made many phone calls, wrote letters to the schools etc., until the program started, when she came every week to help and set up. The program consists of seven weekly sessions of joint mother- daughter learning along with lecture and discussion lead by a teacher, aiming to bring up important issues concerning the girls as they approached their bat mitzvahs. Elana also volunteers in many different organizations, the main ones being Keren Yeshua (rescue/ salvation foundation), Mavoi Satum (dead end) and the Pina Chama (warm corner- café). Keren Yeshua is the umbrella organization for all the charity establishments and gemachim in Efrat and its activities, on a regular basis, are providing food and clothing to Efrat’s less fortunate residents. Keren Yeshua is in charge of pre-Shabbat/ chagim meal distributions and Yad b’Yad (hand in hand), the local second- hand clothing bank. Aside from these day to day issues, the organization also tends to individual and unusual needs, such as scholarships, hachnasot kalah and medical needs. Over the years the organization grew, as more families joined the Efrat community. Elana started volunteering there about ten years ago, doing mostly simple physical work (folding clothes, stuffing envelopes, etc.), and over the years has become a member of the management committee. She worked in both parts of the gemachim separately (food and clothing), until they joined forces.

Mavoi Satum is an organization that helps and supports agunot, women whose husbands are missing and therefore cannot remarry, and mesoravot get, women refused divorce by their husbands. Elana has been volunteering there for twelve years, and in that time has been a melava (accompanier) for seven women. Being a melava, she explains, means supporting and being there for the woman throughout the whole process, as her family is not always willing or able to do so. It is a full time commitment- she is always available for the woman to call, asking for advice or simply for her to listen. She also frequently attends court and meetings with the women’s lawyers, to offer moral support. The process can take from a few months to more than two years, as is the case with the woman she is currently working with. Elana says, that especially as a religious person, she finds volunteering for Mavoi Satum very fulfilling and important. Elana also helps out at the Pina Chama (the free café for soldiers on duty in the Gush Etzion area), collecting cakes every other week, as well as bringing her own. She feels that that is the best way to give back to the soldiers, to whom she is very grateful. The Pina Chama is also a good way to expose them to Gush Etzion and its citizens, she says, when they come to a place that is so welcoming and friendly. "It's very good PR", she laughs, "when they come here and see that we are not all crazy radicals- we're people who appreciate the hard work they do." I was very impressed and inspired by all the wonderful things Elana does and how much she contributes to her community. I hope to emulate her volunteering spirit and her willingness to give to others.

[]

= Personal Connection =

For the personal connection part of this project I chose to draw a picture that reflects the problems, goals, and situations the organizations I researched are faced with, and how they help communities inIsraeland beyond. The map of Israel contains many small pictures that represent the fact that while there are many problems and hardships (a teardrop, a sick child) ,we are doing the best we can to make Israel and the world a better place (giving charity, a mended heart, children playing). In the center of the map is a heart made of many puzzle pieces, forming together to make an Israeli flag. The puzzle pieces represent the people and organizations that strive to help others and make their communities, their country and their world more giving and caring.

= Reflection =

As I worked on myIsraelfaces project many of my expectations were met and many were not. I was interested to learn about different individuals and organizations who give so much from themselves to their community and beyond it. As you can see from the project, I succeeded in that aspect- while writing about the Save a Child's Heart organization I was impressed and fascinated by their ambitious and worthy goals, even more so when I realized they achieved them. I was amazed by the commitment and work the Israeli doctors put into saving the lives of children with whom they have nothing in common, sometimes even from enemy countries. I was also interested and saddened to learn about the terrible health conditions and economic status most Ethiopians are trapped in. When I interviewed Elana Adams I was impressed and grateful that the community I live in has so many people like Elana, willing to help and volunteer whenever needed. I was particularly interested to hear about the Mavoi Satum organization, and how it helps women in need. One of the things that I was disappointed in while writing this project was the unnecessary, in my opinion, focus on citations, footnotes, quotation marks, etc. While I agree that these aspects of writing are important in a well written report, they should not be the main factor in judging the quality of the piece. Elements such as subject matter, good writing and composition of the report are much more important than the small technicalities that were discussed at length in the class. I hope that in the future you will focus on the significant issues rather than the minor ones when instructing us. My writing and research skills did not improve while writing the project. While writing this project I was exposed to some of the wonderful people and organizations, helping their communities and the world, that makeIsraelthe giving place that it is.

= Notes =

[] [] [] [] [] [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia#Health] 10.11.11
 * Cardiac center opens in Ethiopiawith successful surgeries, Meseret, Elias, 02.17.09, Nazaret [| http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2009/02/17/cardiac_center_opens_in_ethiopia_with_su] 13.11
 * Children's profiles, SACH
 * Children we help, SACH
 * Ethiopiaand Rwanda 2007, SACH
 * Ethiopiademographics profile 2011, Index Mundi [| http://www.indexmundi.com/ethiopia/demographics_profile.html] 10.11.11
 * Ethiopiaeconomy 2011, Theodora
 * Ethiopia, SACH
 * Ethiopia,Wikepedia.

The Interview with Elana Adams took place on November 15th, 2011, in her home.

= Appendix = Interview questions

- Where were you born? - Where were you educated and when did you make aliya? - Children etc.

-What different organizations do you volunteer in? -When did you start in each one? -How much time do you spend volunteering each week? -What prompted you to start volunteering in these places, and how did you hear of/ get to each organization? - Why do you spend so much of your time volunteering? About each org. - What does the organization do and who does it help? - What responsibilities as a volunteer do you have? - What do you find most fulfilling in your volunteering?