- Award Entered:
Sport Team of the Year
- Parent Organisation:
Hapoel Tel Aviv
- Project Host Nation:
Israel and Palestinian Territories
- Overview of Project:
Hapoel Tel Aviv harnesses its popularity, winning tradition and commitment to social responsibility through a comprehensive sport for development and peace project known as Mifalot Chinuch. Mifalot, through collaboration with local partners and governmental entities, implements a unique collection of programs that address the educational and social needs of over 15,000 children in need each year. For children living in at-risk or isolated environments, such as the Bedouins in the Negev or children in state-run boarding homes, Mifalot provides greater access to physical education activities and opportunities to interact with others and have fun. Newly arrived immigrants and refugees participate in Mifalot to play football and learn literacy/language skills and to better integrate into their new society. Children with special needs play football, learn life lessons, and train as a team. Mifalot also brings their families and peers into the fold through community programs designed to encourage inclusion and community involvement. To foster a culture of peace and coexistence, Mifalot brings Palestinian and Israeli youth together to train, play and compete together as teammates and friends. Mifalot has over 200 projects active throughout Israel and the Palestinian Territories and has shared its expertise with partners in Cameroon and Rwanda.
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: 17 Jun 2009 - 18:50 BST
My name is Amir Bakk, and I’m working at “Liman Day Care Centre” in Rehovot, Israel. This is a day care centre for children with special needs. For the last two years, we have been participating in Mifalot: The Education and Social Project of Hapoel Tel Aviv. Actually we have the youngest members of this project, aged 3-6. Beside the daily work at the kindergarten, I’m also the children’s trainer. That has given me opportunity to be involved with this fantastic project, outside the frame of the kindergarten. The project “Mifalot”, involves thousands of thousands of children from all sectors and populations: Arabs and Jews, refugees, children with special needs, boarding schools, thousands of children with lower socioeconomic status. The goals are clear: To advance and empower the participants, and to instill in them values of tolerance and respect for others through sport. To acquaint, and bring together populations from different sectors of society. The project “Mifalot” of Hapoel Tel Aviv, is the only one in Israel today, who seriously works within the Palestinian Authorities. As an example, I would mention the annual National Mixed Teams Soccer Tournament, which took place two days ago: 150 children from the Palestinian Authority, playing in mixed teams with Jews and Arabs from Israel. Including children with special needs. Not an easy task to arrange these days. In a usually rather dark Middle East, this project is a light of hope, for coexistence and peace. No wonder that Hapoel Tel Aviv is involved in a project like this, being the number one soccer club, when it comes to fight racism and prejudice in Israeli soccer. And that includes both the management and the clubs thousands of supporters.
: 11 Jun 2009 - 12:31 BST
My name is Lilach Szaingurten and I am working in an organization called AMEN. AMEN is a program established by ministry of education and J.D.C Israel. AMEN mains goal is to promote youth voluntarism. Mifalot Hapoel Tel-Aviv is a major partner of us who helps promoting youth voluntarism through sport. Sport leadership program which was built by Mifalot Hapoel Tel-Aviv enables youth to find a way to express their qualities and volunteer, while becoming a social caring leader. It is also important to mention that we work together in any part of the Israeli society: Bedouin, Jews, Arabs and Druze. In my opinion there is no doubt that Miphalot Hapoel Tel-Aviv Program contributes to build a better society, and to make youth become a more caring citizen.
: 09 Jun 2009 - 20:01 BST
As an educator I am so impressed and inspired by Hapoel Tel Aviv's Education and Social Project, supported by Cherish our Children International. By inviting children who are attached to a long history of violent conflict to play together on the same soccer team and allowing them to develop friendships and share a common goal, this project is creating positive change not only for each individual child, but for their families, communities, the middle east and the world. Through soccer, education, and profound caring this outstanding and effective program empowers these children, and the young adults who work with them, with love and hope while building peace in the middle east. Please invite Hapoel Tel Aviv's Education and Social Project to the Beyond Sports Awards and increase public awareness of this powerful and positive project!
: 09 Jun 2009 - 11:19 BST
My name is Saar afory and I am working as a football coach in Hapoel Tel Aviv's Education and Social Project for two years. Myself and my colleague feel that the organization purpose and our work with the scholars is beyond the football training merely, but it included a wider and varied project. with the assistance of the football training that transferred to the learner, we infiltrated the educational dejected and values with stress on consciousness the other, patience , tolerance and more. In the personal level there is a great satisfaction to work in a organization that place his goals in society change and deliver a message that rise to better functioning in our society
: 09 Jun 2009 - 07:28 BST
My name is Jan Claude and I work at the Agohozo Shalom orphanage in Rwanda. Our orphanage was set up as a result of the genocide of 1994. The challenges we face are great and we work with the kids in many ways, sport is one of the best. A team of two people from Hapoel Tel Aviv youth programs visited the village and helped work with our staff and together we founded two social soccer teams, one for girls and one for boys. The team of trainers from Hapoel worked closely and patiently with us. They taught us how to examine our village and what was happening around us and to integrate it into our work. They were able to use the materials and activities from Israel and together with us adapt them for our children. Our children deal with social issues and values such as leadership, helping others and fair play in a fun and good way. They brought with them enough equipment and even today the groups of children are still proud to wear the red jersey the people from Hapoel brought with them. We are still in touch with the team form Tel Aviv by phone and e-mail and we know we have friends in the world who give us support and professional guidance. We were pleased to hear from them about Beyond Sport. Maybe next year we will send our team as well.
: 09 Jun 2009 - 04:38 BST
As an American Jew, I'm so proud to help fund, through Cherish Our Children International, this program for education and sports to build relationships for Israel's children. I visited last year and saw the difference this program was making in the lives of 25,000 of Israel's most vulnerable children. Through education, love, and soccer, we are building a foundation for the future of peace in the mideast. I love the coaches, the leaders, and the children who benefit. These children are our future!
: 08 Jun 2009 - 19:54 BST
in the bible Tuesday was blessed twice during the creation. for me, this year i was blessed twice, with two amazing teams consisting of even more amazing individuals. maybe there was a reason that Tuesday was the day chosen to have our sessions. Being a physical education major, Hapoel Tel Aviv's Education and Social Project seemed to be the place for me. My year started with the option to coach two special teams, using the projects curriculum. In preparing for the teams, everyone involved in the project amazed responses when I told them with which teams I was scheduled to work. All I knew was that these teams needed a patient and caring coach, more then that I had no idea how I was going to meet in the first meeting. The Education and Social Project works all over Israel was both Jews and Arabs. The main agenda of the program is to teach underprivileged kids basic social behaviors using football as a way to interest the kids. The coaches use football drills, and stories from the football realm in order to give the kids tools to cope better in their social environment. For instance, learning to abide the law by understanding the importance of rules in the game of football. The coaches follow a curriculum and make it fit their specific team. So here I was preparing to meet my team at 14:30 on a Tuesday in south Tel-Aviv. And off we go! The kids in my team were all born in Sudan, and haven't been in Israel for more then two years. The youngest is a second grader and the oldest is in seventh grade. There are girls and boys. All together we have 16 players, and lucky for me, a court big enough for an eight a side game. On a daily basis the kids are integrated in the school, but from 12am have there own afternoon club. At the club they do their home work and have other group activities. But on Tuesday I come and we have our football session. The players have good control of their Hebrew and we are able to communicate. I am always amazed at their progress, and at how well they behave during practice. One of my main objectives was to get them to learn the meaning of being part of a group. And it is great how every week we look and act more like a team. Sadly, at four pm I have to end the games and conclude the meeting. Only because at 16:30 I meet with my second team. This team is more of a challenge, for several reasons. Mainly, here I am working with teenagers, ages ranging from 14 to 19. again, non of them were born in Israel, they have all immigrated here, most of them illegally, and quiet a few came with out families. They live in south Tel-Aviv and only some go to school, the rest have to work in order to pay for there rent and food. With these team my objective was to give each one of them a place were they can come and be kids again. A place were they have fun and a short escape from the stresses I can't even comprehend. Working with them I learn how cruel life can be, and still they keep on going, showing me that life has such a great value. The meetings with both teams could be described using one word, smiles. All session long players are smiling and laughing, because in the end all we need is one round ball and two goals, to make every thing seem so insignificant. My name is Amos Pollack (24), and I am a student of physical education at Wingate sports institute. I am now finishing my first year with Hapoel Tel Aviv's Education and Social Project.
: 08 Jun 2009 - 14:14 BST
08 June 2009 I'm Dr. Zvi Weinsrein Project Renewal Coordinator ,Ministry of Construction & Housing dealing with children and youth at risk in more than 100 distressed neighbourhoods all over Israel. Sport became one of oue major tool to cope with the young generation in our neighbourhoods and trying to raise their potential, to empower them and give them the abilities to be part of the main stream of the Israeli society, leaving behind their neglected and deprived environments and look forward to the light at the horizon. Mifalot Hinuch has joined Project Renewal 3 years ago and few thousands of young people ages 10-15 participating both in the sport training and educational activities. The children are in a process of self empowerment, learn how to work in a team; strengthen their own pride as residents of their community, their school and achieving better grades in their school tests, they study with much more motivation and become a model for their fan and class mates. Here are some quatations written b my Project Renewal managers in our distressed neighbourhoods: 1. The sport activity created a group pride, prevent vagrancy and enabled to transfer sugnificant meaning to each of them 2. The possibility to take children who never participated any community activity and to crystalizing them to one group is outstanding achievement. 3.Sprot is the most important vehicle for empowerment, proud. The coach is a model and most significant figure for the children. mifalot Hinuch is one of the most engaged and involved organization among our Project Renewal which brought many changes and recognition. It created a revolution at the attitude of children to their families, school, teachers and the whole environment in the community. They should be recognize as community leaders who give the most educational and social benefits for children at risk
: 08 Jun 2009 - 11:02 BST
The SPNI(Socity Protectoin Nature Israel) is the oldest enviormental organization in Israel. This year Mifalot Hinuch have joined us in the educatinal project Beutiful Israel, by the support of schusterman foundation, pratt foundation and the ministery of enviroment defence, which deals with the enviroment and the public areas littering problem . In this unique corporation we bring together two differrent worlds: football & enviroment and take the children through a process of discovering their community, the mutual relationship between the individual-community-enviroment, their ability and willingness to contribute to tehir community and enviroment by, among other things, incouraging a football culture that respect its players, fans and enviroment. By our professional experience from the last experimental month we expect to profound the corporation during the very next year and here by wish Mifalot Hinuch to be recognized as it should be!
: 08 Jun 2009 - 10:08 BST
As someone who has spent the last year heavily involved in Mifalot's social action project, with particular emphasis on the foreign language programmes, I feel compelled to leave a brief comment. This year, children from varying backgrounds and faiths participated in a football based programme teaching English as a foreign language. The programme was taught in both schools and in less formal learning environments and was a huge success. The children all showed a substantial improvement and many are now able to communicate in English to a high conversational level. The programme was so unique because everything was taught via themes regarding football, and the children were able to quickly identify and improve. Full attendance at every programme testified to its huge success, aswell as to the need for different approaches to education within an enjoyable,safe environment. Mifalot deserves great recognition and all the plaudits for their tireless and visionary work, aiming to make a brighter future for Israel and the PA's future generations.
: 08 Jun 2009 - 09:58 BST
My name is Ron Bolotin.I am the head of sport department in the Israel assoc of community centers For the last few years ,we are promotin togather with Hapoel the project of football for children with special needs Hapoel is doing a most important and wonderful work ,using sport and football as a tool for a social and educational change Hapoel's projects influence thousands of kids and youth in Israel :jewish,muslems,druze from all over the country Hapoel proved that with a vision and professional team you can really do and make it happens I am sure they deserve this award as a recognition to their wonderful contribution for a better society in Israel
: 08 Jun 2009 - 05:14 BST
hi, my name is noam gdalyahu and i work as CSR manager at Aroma espresso bar, the largest coffee shops chain in Israel. we collaborate with Mifalot Chinuch for the second year now in joint activities in which our employees and the children train together, play together and hosting the children in our 100 branches around israel. we focus on children with special needs and the collaboration with mifalot is works wonderfully,both for the children and for our employees, and we are going to expand this collaboration next year. i can honestly say that mifalot is doing an amazing job and is one of the most influencial organizations in israel in the aspect of caring for the children. i do hope they will win this prize, they deserve it!