Ride For Pride

The "Ride for Pride" project is a bike riding program for youth at risk of dropping out of school, organized and funded by Israel La’ad. The goals of the project are to provide children with an incentive for working hard in school and to instill them with a sense of belonging in Israeli society. All the kids in the program which operates in Israel’s poorer towns, come from families who can’t afford the luxury of purchasing a bike.

The following is a report from the director of the newest program in Ariel, Ms. Talya Joseph.  “Our local “Ride for Pride” group has 17 participants – all of who are 8th graders.  We started just one year ago and I am proud to report that in almost every instance, the boy’s motivation and success in school has improved markedly.  Teachers and parents report that the kids are all well behaved in school and at home.  The mother of one of the boys commented that “ever since the program started, not only have my son’s grades improved, but his attitude shows marked maturity."  

“The group has two weekly biking sessions lasing 2 hours each.  One of the issues we have taught is the importance of a time commitment.  Each child is expected to participate in every meeting. For some of the kids this wasn’t easy to internalize. But I have seen a tremendous improvement in that over the course of the year.  And the time discipline they learn here is manifest in other areas of their lives as well.   

We have two other weekly study sessions devoted to remedial school work.  The groups are smaller – 3-4 kids get help with homework, preparation for tests, and or any other help they need for school.
One additional weekly hour is devoted to social involvement projects. This year the kids prepared and distributed food baskets for needy families, they collected charity for a communal charity and they

donated their bikes for the local health awareness carnival.  They are learning that while benefiting from Israel La’ad’s project, they need to be concerned about the welfare of others.

But the kids first love has become the biking outings.  Using bikes, helmets, riding cloths provided by Israel La’ad, they meet punctually at 3:00 – 2 afternoons a week, for 2 hours of fun and exercise.  Its amazing how they have improved since we started. They are good riders with inexhaustible energy and stamina.  Up hill, mountain treks, long rides, they love it, never complain and never get tired.  They are expert at the minor repairs needed to keep their bikes in tip-top shape, and have become responsible young men in taking care of their bikes and equipment.  It has been wonderful to see them form a caring community, recognizing that in any team effort, they must take care of each other in order to succeed!” 

Israel La’ad’s Ride for Pride project is an extremely important project which needs your active help and support.  And it is desperately needed in many more Israeli towns. Your generous gift can help us start new bike riding teams in other towns with needy children. The annual cost of running a bike riding team which involves hiring a guide, supplying 17 sets of bikes, helmets, padding and the necessary insurance is $7,500.

Afternoon Learning Centers

The goal of the project is to help youth at risk in grades 6, 7 & 8 develop the skills necessary to become successful students. Ordinarily the program focuses on helping the kids with their school work, offering remedial help, homework and preparation for tests.  Sometimes children experience problems at home and they need a more holistic approach to manage through school and the challenges that life presents them.

The immigrant population which is facing the greatest difficulty in acclimating within Israeli society are the Ethiopians.  Their national roots and culture, their mores and traditions are vastly different from 21st century Israel.  And while the younger generation is making tremendous inroads into the “norm” of Israeli life, their parents are confronted daily by the hardships of unemployment, and the feeling that life is passing them by.  The anxiety that breeds in this type of family can make life very difficult for children.

Marva Marom is a 20 year old musician who is spending her army service as a substitute teacher in Gedera, a town with a large Ethiopian community.  Through Israel La’ad, she organized a group of 20 young teenagers who come from troubled homes.  Many of their parents don’t have steady jobs, and those who do clean houses, work as messengers, etc.  Many of the kids in Marva’s group, while formally registered in school, contribute to the family’s income.  This environment is not conducive to a healthy upbringing.

Marva, who studied classical guitar at Jerusalem’s Music Academy High School, introduced her charges to music.  The 19 girls and one boy had never played, let alone held a guitar.  But within a few lessons, she discovered that many of them exhibited extraordinary talent which blossomed under her guidance.

All displayed a unique appreciation for music and they all capitalized on this new means of expression to discover an inner self awareness that the circumstance of their lives had denied them.

“My job as a teacher”, Marva explains, “is to open their eyes and souls to the beauty and power of music.  Each of them internalized what they learned and began seeing themselves as vibrant,

creative and talented young musicians whose lives could soar way beyond the trials and tribulations of their troubled lives.”

Musical practice has become an anticipated part of their every day.  As their musical proficiency grew, so did their learning aptitude in school.  Most of all they discovered an inherent self esteem which has become a part of their every day life and behavior.  No longer scared and intimidated by the challenge of life, they are growing and maturing, reaching a potential no one ever thought they could achieve!    

We need your help to open new ALCs. The annual cost of operating an ALC for a group of 20 kids is $13,000. This amount enables us to acquire the necessary space, hire teachers to work after school hours, buy books and other study aides and supplies, as well as provide occasional field trips and sports activities that these kids cannot afford.

Israel-Laad 2 Pekeris Street, Park T.M.R, Rehovot 76702, Israel | Tel: +972-8-948-4684 | E-mail: office@Israel-laad.org