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The
Forgotten People Fund -
A charity registered in Israel # 58-032-322-8
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FPF is a hands-on charity, totally run by volunteers, to help Ethiopian families living below the poverty line in Netanya. 99% of the funds raised by FPF are distributed to our needy families! Our NPO/amuta fees, our annual audit, and bank and postal charges are covered by just 1% of your donations. FPF has no employees, office rent or utilities, just a dedicated group of volunteers.
Each month, we will publish a Case History to illustrate the work that we do - click here to read this month's Case History
CLICK to read “Education in the Ethiopian Community” by Aida Miller
Ethiopian groups press Gafni to save immigrant absorption 'five-year-plan
Ethiopian
rights activists called on Knesset Finance Committee chairman MK Moshe Gafni
Monday to hold an
emergency
hearing aimed at saving the highly-touted "five-year-plan" for improving the
integration and
absorption
of Ethiopian immigrants.
According to the
Under the new proposal, funding for the plan could be
shared by the five individual ministries - Immigration and Absorption,
Education, Welfare and Social Services, Industry, Labor and Trade and
Construction and Housing - involved in supporting the initiative.
"If that
happens we are worried that the plan will come at the expense of programs
already running to assist new Ethiopian immigrants," IAEJ spokesman Avi Masfin
told The Jerusalem Post. "Taking funds from other programs is not exactly the
point of this plan and will certainly not improve the current situation for new
immigrants."
In his letter to Gafni, Masfin highlighted the community's
high expectations for the plan, which deals with mortgage subsidies,
educational, social and community needs, and pointed out to the MK some of the
hardships faced by the 110,000-strong community in
"As we all know, the economic crisis has not spared the
State of Israel and the Ethiopian immigrant community is in even greater need
today than in the past of increased social and economic assistance," wrote
Masfin. "They are the first ones to be hurt by the recession."
A spokesman for Gafni said that the MK viewed the issue as
very important and that he hoped to discuss the plan's future, either separately
or within the context of hearings about the Economic Arrangements Bill, next
week.
First initiated in November 2006, the plan was created
following a series of demonstrations by members of the Ethiopian community
frustrated over difficult economic and social conditions that have led the
immigrant population to become one of the most poverty-stricken in the country.
For the
duration of 2007, government officials and community members met under the
auspices of a special inter-ministerial committee to discuss ways to combine
forces and ease the burdens faced by new and veteran immigrants.
Although the plan was eventually approved by the
government at the start of 2008, the Finance Ministry refused to grant a budget
for the full five years, promising instead
Every Rosh Hashana and
Passover, FPF works with the social workers to prepare the lists of names of
families that will receive a gift of food vouchers to help them shop for these
holidays.
This year, FPF
was unable to continue distribute vouchers to our families because of a lack of
funds. We
hope visitors to our website will consider making a donation to help get our
voucher program up and running again! Click here to make a donation.
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Click here to read the latest report published in the Jerusalem
Post