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Yossi & Yonathan Now Have a Bright Future: PACT in Israel
In commemoration of pre-school graduation, Yossi proudly stood up and read aloud from the popular children’s book, "Ha'bayit Shel Yael". Rena, Yossi’s family’s PACT program liaison watched with tears streaking down her face. "We have been working toward this moment for five years." Yossi’s successful performance of this task puts him on the same level as the other Israeli children entering first grade, helping to close the culture gap between Ethiopian-Israeli children and their native peers.
The PACT, Parents and Children Together, program began the year Yossi turned one and has played a roll in each stage of his life. His PACT journey began with daycare services, which provided him a structured, stimulating and social environment. Through PACT Health services, Yossi received vaccinations and most recently, taught him the alphabet and how to read. Extending well beyond the classroom, PACT’s Home Intervention Program worked with Yossi’s family, helping them to understand the parent’s role in Israel’s western society and the many ways PACT is there to help. Rena the family’s program liaison has been working with the family for years and said, "the change in this family is beyond noticeable, it’s dramatic." In Netanya, where Yossi’s family lives, and Southern Israel, PACT programs are successfully reaching close to 100% of all Ethiopian-Israeli children. The dramatic results of this program can be seen in each and every child. The PACT Home Intervention program focuses on the whole family. If it were not for the help and guidance of PACT Home Intervention, Yossi’s future would be bleak. 
PACT entered Yonathan’s life later than Yossi’s. Just prior to entering school, an educational diagnostic test revealed Yonatan to have cognitive skills well below average. Aviva, the family’s newly assigned Ethiopian-Israeli Family liaison, visited the family immediately. Having worked with dozens of Ethiopian-Israeli families struggling to survive in their new land, Aviva knew the challenge that lay ahead for Yonatan and his family. "You have to understand the significant conceptual gaps between Israeli and Ethiopian definitions of early childhood education, for example, in Ethiopia a child of five may never have used markers or pencils. Thus to a new immigrant child, such a seemingly simple task would prove unusually difficult".
Yonatan’s family was in crisis, his mother was unemployed and his father suffered from debilitating mental illness. In addition, the family was solely dependant on welfare. Aviva sat down with the whole family and outlined a plan of action beginning with a list of helpful programs offered by PACT. Programs aimed at giving them the tools to improve their situation. This included: parent-child education workshops, occupational seminars, adult Hebrew literacy classes, parent training and support groups. Yonatan began taking part in educational programming aimed at catching him up to his veteran Israeli peers. This year, Yonatan was able to enter 1st grade where he was the first in his class to receive an ‘Outstanding Reader’ certificate. With the help and guidance of JDC’s family PACT programs, Yonatan’s father’s condition has been stabilized and his mother has a new job at the local community center. "Yonatan’s whole family is," in Aviva’s words, "a strong family unit with a bright promising future." making them Another PACT success story. |
