Water is one of humanity’s most basic needs. We all need water to drink, to cook and to grow food. But many people—one in six people, still don’t have access to clean water. In Africa, women walk for hours each day to collect water for their families. They drink from dirty wells, rivers, and holes in the ground, causing sickness and disease. Today, one child dies every eight seconds from drinking dirty water. But we can help make this number smaller.
Jewish Heart for Africa brings sustainable Israeli technologies to African villages. Using solar panels from Israel, we build solar powered water pumping systems. The energy from the sun is used to pump water from deep below ground. This water is clean, safe to drink, and flows through taps in the center of the village. Women can bring water home to their families quickly, safely, and with ease. Our water pumps provide 20,000 liters of clean water per day, enough for over 1,000 people, saving thousands of lives every day.
Jewish Heart for Africa was founded by Sivan Borowich in January of 2008. Sivan got her Masters in International Energy Management and Policy from Columbia University and traveled extensively throughout Africa through her work with the United Nations Development Program. In January of 2008, Sivan visited Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda to begin working on Jewish Heart for Africa.
After choosing local contractors in each country to install the Israeli technologies, Jewish Heart for Africa was able to launch its first projects. Project Sol is our first initiative, bringing Israeli solar technology to African villages. Our second initiative, Project Agro, uses Israeli agricultural practices such as drip irrigation to make agriculture possible in places where water in scarce. We also look forward to launching Project Aero, bringing Israeli wind turbines to Africa as an additional energy source.
Our mission is to:
1. Provide sustainable development to Africa.
2. Build the reputation of Israel around the world and with its African neighbors.
3. Support Israel’s economy and scientific development.
Jewish Heart for Africa’s projects need no maintenance for over 20 years. We buy all of our technology in Israel, and our local contractors in Africa install it in the villages. Each project is self-sustaining, meaning that once we have finished the installation, the project can take care of itself, and villagers will continue to benefit each year from Israeli technologies. Our long-term vision is to expand our projects to new villages and countries in Africa in order to save more lives as we continue to grow. Today, thanks to Israeli technologies, 70,000 African people have access to electricity and clean water. With support from individuals like you, the number of people we impact will grow each year, reaching 600,000 in our fifth year, and over one million in our tenth.
Name of Organization:Jewish Heart for Africa
Number of Paid Staff:1 f/t, 2 p/t
Number of Volunteers:168
Total Organizational Expenses:$46,956
% of Organizational Overhead Expenses:7%
Jewish Heart for Africa is the only Jewish non-profit organization working on sustainable development in Africa while using Israeli technologies. We believe it is important for the world to see Israel as an innovator, and as a country that has the ability to contribute to the global community. There are many organizations that support both Israel and Africa, but Jewish Heart for Africa helps both populations at the same time.
Nurse Ashura has been the only nurse in Kidigozero Medical Clinic, Tanzania, for 8 years. This clinic serves over 7,000 people in the surrounding village, all living without electricity.
When Jewish Heart for Africa first visited the Kidigozero Medical Clinic in January of 2008, Nurse Ashura stood over a soon-to-be mother holding a dirty, leaking kerosene lamp. She was trying to provide light as Doctor Ngamila was preparing to deliver a baby. The birth of a new child—a common occurrence in Kidigozero village—becomes dangerous at night when the doctor cannot see and complications easily arise.
Nine months later, when we revisited the Kidigozero Medical Clinic after installing solar panels from Israel, Nurse Ashura eagerly ushered us into one of the clinic’s rooms. There was another woman, preparing to give birth. But now, there was no dirty kerosene lamp, no squinting doctor. There was just a light switch on the door, and Nurse Ashura flipped it proudly. Both newborn children will now receive vaccines against yellow fever, the measles and tuberculosis, because of the solar powered refrigerators that we have installed. And future mothers can be sure of better medical care for themselves and their children.
Ending Hunger
Guarding the Earth
Poverty
1. Help JChoice support Jewish Heart For Africa through a Bar and Bat Mitzvah Project. Each Bar and Bat Mitzvah candidate will receive a resource pack, and print materials to share with family and friends. If you raise the $5,000 toward completing a project, we’ll put a plaque on the solar structure that provides energy for pumping water to the village with the name that you choose. Celebrate your Bar or Bat Mitzvah with Jewish Heart for Africa, and help us repair the world one village at a time. For more information, email Rachel@jhafrica.org
2. Join our Birthday Campaign. Jewish Heart for Africa also launched a birthday campaign. For your birthday, instead of presents, ask your loved ones to help you bring sustainable Israeli technologies to Africa, and use your birthday to help Israel and Africa at the same time. Jewish Heart for Africa will provide you with your materials to include on JChoice to share with your family and friends.
3. Merchandise—All proceeds from the sale of our merchandise directly support our projects. If you would like to help sell Jewish Heart for Africa t-shirts, light bulbs and tote bags in your community, please email Rachel@jhafrica.org. To see our online store, please visit http://www.jhasol.org/donate.html.
4.Contact us through JChoice and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/jhafrica.
Name:Rachel Ishovsky
Title:Associate Executive Director
Address:520 Eighth Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018
Telephone:(212) 710-6426
Email:rachel@jhafrica.org
Website:www.jhafrica.org