Education and Social Education and Social Project "Mifalot" Project "Mifalot"

LocationLocation: primarily : primarily IsraelIsrael; also ; also Palestinian Authority, Jordan; Palestinian Authority, Jordan; consulting and training for programs consulting and training for programs in Africa (Rwanda, Cameroon), Haiti, in Africa (Rwanda, Cameroon), Haiti, and most recently in India.and most recently in India.

HistoryHistory Fifteen years agoFifteen years ago, , one of Israel’s premier soccer one of Israel’s premier soccer

teams came up for sale.teams came up for sale. Three friends…Israeli business people, Three friends…Israeli business people,

understood that if they had a premier league understood that if they had a premier league team and professional sports stars, they’d be team and professional sports stars, they’d be able to attract children to an educational project.able to attract children to an educational project.

They bought the team in order to do that project, They bought the team in order to do that project, the reverse of the usual process where owners the reverse of the usual process where owners have a team and then decide to do something have a team and then decide to do something nice for the community.nice for the community.

The new owners of Hapoel Tel Aviv, emerging The new owners of Hapoel Tel Aviv, emerging from a deep background in the Israeli from a deep background in the Israeli

scouting scouting movement, bought the team and movement, bought the team and began the began the program. program.

They are fulfilling their original vision: They are fulfilling their original vision: ““We can’t think of a more important way to give We can’t think of a more important way to give

back to the community and fulfill our social back to the community and fulfill our social responsibility than by reaching out to make a responsibility than by reaching out to make a difference in the lives of youth from the most difference in the lives of youth from the most vulnerable areas of society.” vulnerable areas of society.”

Whom we serve:Whom we serve:The Education and Social Project of The Education and Social Project of

Hapoel Tel Aviv ("Mifalot") is the Hapoel Tel Aviv ("Mifalot") is the largest and most diverse sport for largest and most diverse sport for development program in the Middle development program in the Middle East. East.

Its mission is to transform the lives of Its mission is to transform the lives of disadvantaged and at-risk children disadvantaged and at-risk children and and promote understanding among promote understanding among different groups in Israel and the different groups in Israel and the region. region.

Mifalot harnesses the power of sport for Mifalot harnesses the power of sport for enrichment and values education, enrichment and values education, to teach life skills to children with to teach life skills to children with special needs, promote the integration special needs, promote the integration and inclusion of newly arrived and inclusion of newly arrived immigrants immigrants and refugees, and create and refugees, and create bonds of bonds of friendship among children friendship among children from from diverse and often mutually diverse and often mutually hostile hostile backgrounds. backgrounds.

The project gives disadvantaged The project gives disadvantaged children a sense of belonging to children a sense of belonging to something big and successful and something big and successful and that they can be winners themselves.that they can be winners themselves.

It gives hope for a better future, It gives hope for a better future, developing leadership among youth, a developing leadership among youth, a sense of self-esteem and mutual sense of self-esteem and mutual respect.  respect. 

Mifalot includes more than 20,000 children and Mifalot includes more than 20,000 children and youth in over 300 programs in Israel, the youth in over 300 programs in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan, and has Palestinian Authority, and Jordan, and has shared its expertise in Rwanda, Cameroon, shared its expertise in Rwanda, Cameroon, Haiti Haiti and most recently India. and most recently India.

All of the children are in need, in some All of the children are in need, in some significant significant way disadvantaged and at risk. way disadvantaged and at risk.

Beyond that, there is an incredible diversity of Beyond that, there is an incredible diversity of boys boys and girls from poor neighborhoods, and girls from poor neighborhoods, towns, towns, villages; children in sheltered boarding villages; children in sheltered boarding schools; schools; children with special needs; youth in children with special needs; youth in prison; prison; immigrant and refugee children.immigrant and refugee children.

Bridge to Peace- Mifalot Bridge to Peace- Mifalot ProgramProgram

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=plahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2YUzrQ823AIyer_detailpage&v=2YUzrQ823AI

MMifalot has over 300 projects that use soccer to ifalot has over 300 projects that use soccer to accomplish the following program objectives:accomplish the following program objectives:

PPromote peace and coexistence by creating bonds of romote peace and coexistence by creating bonds of friendship between Israelis, Palestinians and friendship between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians.Jordanians.

Provide much needed assistance to children living in Provide much needed assistance to children living in at-risk or isolated environments in our region and at-risk or isolated environments in our region and internationally. internationally.

TTeach life skills to children with special needs. each life skills to children with special needs.

PPromote the integration and inclusion of newly romote the integration and inclusion of newly arrived immigrants and refugees into Israeli society. arrived immigrants and refugees into Israeli society.

Encourage the social integration of Arab-Israelis by Encourage the social integration of Arab-Israelis by empowering the individual and the Arab-Israeli empowering the individual and the Arab-Israeli community. community.

Shape socially responsible and value enriched Shape socially responsible and value enriched leaders for tomorrow. leaders for tomorrow.

MMifalot leverages the platform provided by the ifalot leverages the platform provided by the Hapoel Tel Aviv Premier League Soccer Hapoel Tel Aviv Premier League Soccer Team to engage Team to engage political institutionspolitical institutions, the , the corporate sectorcorporate sector, the , the general publicgeneral public, and, and the the international communityinternational community to ensure that due to ensure that due attention is paid to the most pressing social attention is paid to the most pressing social issues in the region and internationally.issues in the region and internationally.

The Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club has shifted the public’s The Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club has shifted the public’s perception about the role of a professional club in helping perception about the role of a professional club in helping children and communities. Rather than carrying the image children and communities. Rather than carrying the image of a marketing ploy or public relations campaign, Mifalot is of a marketing ploy or public relations campaign, Mifalot is viewed by its funders, supporters, and partners as an viewed by its funders, supporters, and partners as an earnest and effective use of sport to earnest and effective use of sport to promote social promote social development and peace.development and peace.

Team Pledge of Fair PlayTeam Pledge of Fair Play

Sports for Special KidsSports for Special Kids

http://youtu.be/LtmHoUbXjsghttp://youtu.be/LtmHoUbXjsg