This is a guest post from Yehudit at JobKatif, a non-profit dedicated to find employment for families impacted by the Gaza Strip disengagement.
Following the Israeli government’s investigation into the after-effects of the Disengagement this past summer, JobKatif has launched an on-site census of the former residents of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria.
No government office or entity has precise information or statistics about the former Gush Katif residents. While the Government Commission of Inquiry officially revealed that unemployment was a direct result of the Disengagement, JobKatif has discovered that the displaced families are suffering in many other ways.
“After almost five years, it is about time we get an overall picture of what condition these people are in,” says JobKatif Executive Director, Judy Lowy. “Statistics from the census will be used to help them in the most effective way. We felt this was necessary because the more we help them, the more we discover how in-depth the long-term problems are,” Lowy says.
Using the services of a group of consultants who specialize in employment, the organization hired and trained a staff of five people- all former Gush Katif residents. They are going door-to-door conducting interviews and using questionnaires to gain the only real comprehensive picture of their lives five years post-Disengagement.
“The only way we could get their full cooperation was by using people they trust to let in their [temporary] homes,” Lowy says.
JobKatif was recently awarded a conditional grant of $4.5 million on a matching basis by the Israeli government. The grant is contingent on the organization raising the equal amount. Every donation to JobKatif for the next five years will be matched 1:1.
Editors Note: I have visited the website and this is a wonderful answer to a difficult situation. Please let people know about this cause, particularly if they are hiring in Israel.
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