Mahut Center

The Mahut Center is a feminist organization that promotes a vision of social responsibility and economic justice in the field of employment. It was developed in response to unprecedented government economic policies that have had a ruinous impact on women who live in poverty. The work is designed to provide a progression towards economic empowerment and to influence policies in order to fight the feminization of poverty. Over 50% of the women who have turned to us are now working.

"Women Open Doors for Employment" specializes in helping women from all ethnic and religious groups in the Haifa region who have limited access to the job market, by training women in the skills and tools needed to take a pro-active stance towards their economic well-being and providing the support, assistance and follow-up necessary to help them successfully find and keep employment.

The project runs on two parallel tracks - one track begins with a 14-week course for economic empowerment, while the other track begins with the individual intake process at Mahut Center. Women can enter the program on either track and still receive, over time, both the economic empowerment training and the employment and job placement services.

The program's components include:

• Four economic empowerment courses of 50 hours each
• Intensive placement services including: in-depth interview; close follow-up and creating a personal connection with each woman; mapping the job market; building connections and relationships with various employers and employment agencies; creating opportunities with employers; directing women to jobs and more.
• Four 16-week computer courses for 60 women
• One certificated vocational training course for 15 women
• Working women support club for 30-40 women
• Individual mentoring which is applied by volunteers for 20 women

Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel- SPNI

A specific program we work with is "Children Leading Change". "Children leading change" is an annual national environmental education program carried out on a professional level in over twenty schools in Haifa. SPNI counselors and teachers use informal educational tools to bring about environmental awareness among participants, in particular for their local region. Additionally, outdoor activities are provided that enable a hands on experience with nature and environmental issues.

We hope to further extend into the SPNI international program "Building a Jewish World" and its website with a direct connection between the programs counselors, teachers and coordinator and a parallel colleague group through wide participation of Haifa SPNI staff at the Boston Haifa connection activities.

The Social Economic Academy – SEA

The Social Economic Academy (SEA) offers activists social economic knowledge from a critical perspective while presenting alternatives to the existing policies in Israel and offering practical tools for social change. This is done through different academic courses and activist opportunities throughout the year.

The Social Economic Academy (SEA) was formed upon the release of alarming data that there has been a 40% increase of employed people living under the poverty line in Israel over the last 20 years. A broad investigation uncovered that lack of knowledge, information and tools preclude effective activities to change existing social-economic policy. Activists for social change need to acquire better knowledge of how to deal with the state's decision-making policies, how to demand government accountability and how to work with the authorities in order to bring about change.

The target audience of this project is social activists in its Haifa branch. To reach these goals, the Haifa branch offers 6 full semester courses annually to activists for social change in Haifa. The Branch coordinator recruits volunteer course coordinators that construct, the logistical and academic plans and programs for the SEA courses. The courses offer knowledge and tools and develop social change projects and activities. Additionally, each semester starts with a 2 day Student Social Awareness Day. Each day there are 2-3 lectures on currant social economic issues. Last year, there were 180 student participants. Furthermore, the Haifa branch hosts an annual series of 8 movies and lectures on social economic issues. The series is open to the public and attracts at least 1200 people a year.