We Look around - at out work place, our bank. We check out our lawyer's office, our accountant's firm, and our children's schools – we cannot find a single Israeli of Ethiopian descent who works as a lawyer, an accountant, a teacher, engineer or an economist.  I know, I tried hard and couldn't find any. That is why Edva Hadar and I established the"Olim-Together" program.

 There are four thousand five hundred Ethiopian university graduates living in Israel today. Most of them were children when their families immigrated to Israel. They bridged an enormous educational gap. Less than 15% of them find  suitable employment, and those who do find jobs, usually cater to the Ethiopian population. These numbers are lower than in any other sector.

Four thousand five hundred Ethiopian Israelis. They went to elementary and high school in Israel, some even went to pre-school here, completed their studies at educational institutes in Israel, acquired academic education and served in the army (a large portion of them in combat units). They live not far from us, read the same newspapers that we read every day, watch the same TV shows and go to "Miluim" (army reserve service) just like everyone else. They took the same psychometric (SAT) exams as we did, and earned the same academic degrees. But this is where it ends. From here on, it's another story. Unlike us, they don't have the opportunity to work and make an honest living and feel professionally fulfilled.

This can and must be changed. Over the last year critical changes have taken place in the lives of some one hundred young academics of Ethiopian descent. They are being given the chances to prove that they can fit in and can excel. The results have been great. Business organizations and top business leaders have been joining the program and have been the key to its success and positive results.

Our goal is the integration of hundreds of university educated Ethiopian Israelis into the Israeli market, in suitable positions where they can excel, be promoted and lead to a long-needed change.

 We hope that you will join us in making this change happen.
Yifat Ovadia, General manager  of "Olim Together – Bandelay Woodelay"