This Man is Providing a Home, Family, and Transformative Education to Marginalized Youth in Israel
This week, along with a group of wonderful supporter, our Founders Harry and Kay will visit two World of Children Honorees in Israel and Palestine. The group will see firsthand how our generous donors’ support has unlocked the future for children in these two programs.
First Stop – Israel, where 2014 Honoree Chaim Peri and Yemin Orde Youth Village provide a new beginning for at-risk and immigrant youth.
The Problem
No child should ever have to experience abuse, abandonment, neglect, or the loss of a parent. Unfortunately, millions of children around the world deal with these traumatic situations every day.
Many of these children end up in an orphanage, where they often lack stability, both in terms of parental role models and a place to call home. By the time they turn 18, most youth must leave the orphanage to fend for themselves. This puts them at much greater risk of committing a crime, ending up homeless, or becoming the victims of violence.
The Solution
Chaim Peri, 2014 World of Children Alumni Honoree, discovered a simple alternative to the traditional orphanage model: provide children with a lifelong place to call home.
For more than 30 years, Chaim has welcomed thousands of youth from around the world to the Yemin Orde Youth Village in Israel. There, children live and study in a peaceful, stable environment, receiving mentorship, therapy and long-term security. Unlike most orphanages, Yemin Orde promises to be a child’s home for life. Graduates are invited to continue returning to Yemin Orde after ending their studies; they are frequently found on campus during celebrations or personal transitions in their lives.
“The graduates of Yemin Orde over the years have been my main inspiration to continue and to broaden the scope of our work,” Chaim said. “I always maintain that being raised in a reasonable home and community is preferable to even the best and most prestigious boarding institutions.”
Chaim’s philosophy – known as The Village Way – has been integrated into educational institutions throughout Israel and around the world.
Chaim hopes that as the model spreads, each Village Way hub can “serve as a beacon of hope and wholeness in its area.”
Stay Tuned
Tomorrow we’ll share the stories of youth whose lives have been transformed by the support they’ve found at Yemin Orde.