The mission of Ofek Liyladenu (“Hebrew for "Our Children's Horizon") is to enable blind and visually impaired children throughout Israel to achieve their full potential. We are making a transformative difference in the lives of thousands of children, teens, parents and families — and promoting inclusion in Israeli society at large.   

Our work begins as early as birth--with time-sensitive help for parents in gaining access to expert medical care—and the psychological support and counseling they need to come to terms with their young child’s disability. The next step is a supportive community for families throughout Israel—followed by programs to enable children and teens to keep pace with their sighted peers.

Ofek Liyladenu led the successful breakthrough that opened the door to mainstream education for Israeli children and youth with blindness and visual impairments. Your gift enables children and teens to gain individualized support — subsidized for families who could otherwise not afford it. Ofek Liyladenu programs range from academic tutoring to musical education (which boosts compensatory sensory abilities) and a summer teen work program.  

Young women and men who have participated in Ofek Liyladenu programs are volunteers in the Israeli military and national service.  They pursue higher education and careers in fields ranging from music education to high tech—and distinguish themselves as leaders in their communities and Israeli society at large.

Your partnership will build on the momentum of our success for the benefit of a new generation of  children, teens and young adults—and a more inclusive Israeli society.  

Emergency War Time Services for Children and Youth who are Blind and Sight Impaired 

War takes a special toll on children and youth who are blind and sight-impaired.  Their natural mobility is impaired, and their effort to memorize their pathways to safe rooms is slower and more labored. In addition, their heightened sense of hearing makes them more sensitive to noise, so they are more vulnerable to sounds which can be misinterpreted as threats of attacks, drones, and sirens. They also need to avoid being outdoors by themselves, since they can’t take cover independently.  This means they stay at home and experience greater isolation than their sighted peers.  Zoom school instruction (now beginning in many regions in Israel) is far less accessible to our children, and Ofek Liyladenu is providing alternatives for meaningful learning and enrichment for these children and youth.

Below is an overview of emergency services offered by Ofek Liyladenu: 

We are reaching out to each individual family (with children who are blind or sight impaired) we know living in the rural and urban districts of the Gaza envelope, that is, within 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) of the Gaza border.  They reside in cities, towns, and kibbutzim under siege. Virtually all the residents of the region are being relocated to other regions of the country, and we are assisting them with logistical and practical support as well as psychological/emotional support given our expertise and experience with the special challenges crisis situations pose to our children, youth, and their families. We also provide assistive technologies, from optical readers to closed circuit televisions and adapted cell phones for children nationwide, often delayed or unavailable due to wartime contingencies.

We provide practical, logistical, and psychological support to children and their families across Israel.  The most widespread issue parents confront is gaining entitlement to paid leave or permission to work at home (given that older children and teens require the presence of a sighted adult for their safety). We provide pro bono legal counsel (lawyers with expertise in this field) to support parents in gaining compliance with their special needs.

We work in full collaboration with other NGOs in our field to provide the most comprehensive support for our children, youth, and families. At present, there is no government funding available to meet these needs.  

Ofek Liyladenu’s team is led by experienced and knowledgeable professionals, some of whom are sight impaired, and thus provide highly empathic and sensitive responses to the needs of our children and community. They are providing time-sensitive care to a significant number of families coping with extreme loss and suffering. Therefore our emergency program will also offer emotional and psychological support for our team, who are often in the position of being first responders. 

We pray for better days ahead, and are grateful for any support you can provide for our Emergency Initiative.

 
    Read more on on our website: https://ofekl.org.il/english/.
    Donations can be made also via Paypal  paypal.me/OfekLiyladenu