A Model for Rescuing Traumatized Teens
Yechini is a moshav located in the northern Negev near the Gaza Border and the town of Sderot. Following the attacks of October 7, seventy families were uprooted from their homes under fire and housed “temporarily” in hotels around Jerusalem. They found themselves in an unknown environment, feeling displaced and neglected. Etia Dan, founder & CEO of Menifa, met with the parents from Yechini in their hotels, to discuss how to rescue their children and teenagers
Rescuing Evacuee Children
Their evacuation was clearly impacting all the children, and particularly the high school students, who were missing crucial lessons. Many were also experiencing anxiety and trauma, through social disconnection, the uncertainty of their situation, and their exposure to drugs and alcohol on the streets of the city. While their parents were struggling to work and maintain family life, these teenagers were wandering aimlessly around the hotel, roaming the streets, and showing signs of at-risk behavior and post-traumatic symptoms.
Instead of being the future generation of hope, they were becoming a generation of failure and despair. Etia Dan immediately devised a plan to provide educational and emotional support for the children and youth of Yechini.
Emergency Intervention
Etia sent the Menifa “Wheels of Resilience” truck to host workshops for the teenagers about empowerment and trauma mitigation. They were offered therapy using VR headsets, a computerized strengths diagnosis process, and interactive activities based on positive psychology techniques to encourage personal confidence and teamwork.
Back to School & Normal Functioning
Once the families of Yechini were able to return home in June 2024, they opened a Menifa After-School Learning Center. We recruited teachers from nearby towns and an experienced educator to lead the program. 30 students attended the Center, and an individualized plan was created for each of them. Our objective was to help those who were lost and hurting to return to a normative learning path, catch up what they missed, and reach the educational level of their peers.
Impressive Results
First-grade children learned to read and write at the Center and their vocabulary increased greatly. Year 12 high school students studied for their final exams and achieved great grades. The center remained open during the summer vacation to help younger students to fill the gaps in their learning. Most of the children returned to school and no longer needed the Learning Center, but 12 have asked to continue.
Without our support, these students would have become academically and emotionally disconnected, and developed serious long-term educational, emotional and mental problems.
Menifa plans to use this model to assist teenagers from traumatized communities and evacuees from Northern Israel, who are still unable to return to their homes. New data from the Northern communities suggests that 40% of teenagers are disconnected from their educational frameworks and experiencing distress.
Our intervention will provide support in three stages:
Stage 1: “Wheels of Resilience” workshops for trauma mitigation and empowerment.
Stage 2: Local Therapy Center to provide individual and group therapy to children and teenagers in need of emotional support.
Stage 3: After-School Learning Centers modelled on our Yechini center, helping students to catch up on missed learning and return to normative functioning in their schools.
