How does the Forgotten People Fund break the cycle of poverty for this often over-looked community?
For many Ethiopian families in Israel, the challenges of immigration did not end when they arrived. Language barriers, limited education and ongoing poverty have left generations struggling to build stable and secure lives. Many older adults never had the opportunity to learn to read or write, while countless teenagers fell behind in school and faced limited opportunities for the future.
The Forgotten People Fund (FPF) is helping to break this cycle by providing both immediate support and long-term opportunities. Alongside emergency assistance for families facing food shortages, medication needs, utility cut-offs or unsafe living conditions, FPF places a strong emphasis on education and empowerment. By offering scholarships for professional qualifications and higher education, FPF is giving members of Netanya’s Ethiopian community the tools to build brighter, more independent futures and escape from the cycle of poverty.
Every story matters
MEET ASHGERO
Ashgero is 23, the third of five children. Her family arrived in Israel in December 2000 when she was six-months-old and her parents subsequently divorced. Her mother worked as a cleaner to make ends meet but struggled to find regular jobs whilst balancing her childcare responsibilities.
Ashgero is a bright, ambitious young woman who dreamed of becoming a nurse but neither parent was able to support her financially and the intensity of her studies prevented her from taking on a job. Thanks to a scholarship from FPF, Ashgero is now in her third year of a four-year nursing course, and she is expected to pass with flying colours.
In a letter to FPF, she wrote…
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your scholarship. There is no doubt that without you I would not have been able to survive this year – it was not easy both academically and financially. By the grace of God, I finished all the exams on time and even managed to achieve very good results thanks to the scholarship that allowed me to focus on my studies. Currently, I’m doing my ward experiences at Rambam Hospital in Haifa.
“I want to thank you very much and it is amazing that there are people like you with such big hearts.”
