Pathways to Potential
Menifa
Field: Youth at risk
Requested sum: $30,000
30% of total budget
Location: Kiryat Gat, Lachish
// About the Organization
Menifa operates nationwide across diverse sectors, supporting children, youth and young adults. Over 70,000 beneficiaries are reached through culturally sensitive programs rooted in family and community.
// Project Description
The program operates within a normative school framework and integrates therapeutic values into the educational system. Every girl is assigned with a life mentor ('Teacher for life') who meets each girl weekly and conducts two home visits throughout the year. The program includes group activities, volunteering, empowerment workshops with a therapist and team building. The program emphasizes using empowering language. Every life mentor receives ongoing professional guidance and meets with the school council and therapist.
// Project Goals
The program supports at-risk girls between 8th -10th grade in the education system who are often absent from school, or who are physically in class but passive or disengaged (hidden dropout). Girls who do not actively take part in the learning experience and have difficulty functioning. The program provides, in addition to the educational staff, emotional and therapeutic help, focusing on personal connections and individual case management to promote recovery and functionality.
// Target Population
The target population for the program: fifty at-risk girls who study in Kiryat Gat and Shafir. Although the girls join the program voluntarily, the decision as to who should be in the program is made by the school counselor and the girl’s teacher.
// Outcomes
Short-term impact will be measured by goals set between the staff and the girl, cultivating academic, social and behavioral skills. Long-term goals include completing 12 years of education and achieving personal and functional excellence. Progress will be measured gradually, with targets reviewed at every stage.
// Project Timeline
September–October: forming the group. October to June: the program runs with the mentor dividing her time between one-on-one meetings with the girls, group meetings and meetings with the educational staff. During the month of June: the life mentor has individual meetings with the girls in an informal setting such as coffee shops.
// Budget Sustainability
Menifa will continue to expand the program even after the Partnership’s funding ends. If the program is successful, Manifa will acquire resources with the assistance of other partners. The Menifa Association’s dropout-prevention program is included in the basket of services in the welfare / education sectors. Government partnerships will be explored as well.
The program runs in a modular format. The number of girls depends on the budget and may decrease if the Partnership reduces its involvement. Menifa will not be able to find new partnerships before the end of the school year. The organization will continue to seek donations whenever possible.
// Project establishment status
The program runs in two locations funded by the Ministry of Education- HEMED. Once the decision to support the program is made, the Menifa Association has the capacity to expand the team, set goals, arrange the necessary agreements with the education system and open another group that can start immediately.