Our missions and activities in Africa
Africa is beautiful and diverse. Alongside future projects and many investments, some of the people there live in extremely difficult conditions: a water tap that is opened once a week, no social services or social security, very low wages for teachers (some of them volunteer). There are food security challenges as a result of lack of information, payments to schools are allocated only according to the strong ones that survive, a child will eat lunch at school only if he, or she, has a bowl and spoon from home (not everyone has). Girls during their menstrual cycle are forced to stay home as a result of not being able to afford hygiene products and end up missing 25% of their studies.
Does this sound despairing? Impossible to find solutions?
HelpUp’s experience shows that it is possible to impact this reality.
Slowly and patiently, while building community resilience, and reaching nearby villages, HelpUp volunteers aspire to integrate with the existing conditions and create minor changes according to the needs of the local community. The work is done with modesty, while respecting the local traditions.
We learn about the needs of the institutions we arrive at, approach them with humility, adjust the classes, workshops, lectures and improve the infrastructure accordingly. We always prefer full collaborations with the local community, instilling new skills that are left to be used afterwards.
But from here on…. You’ll have to join one of our missions to really understand what we are referring to.
Our projects
Establishing infrastructure for water and electricity in schools
Sending specialist doctors for joint learning and mentorship
Renovating school classrooms
Providing community clinics with medical equipment
Unique educational missions that are focused on providing pedagogic tools
Building playgrounds and recreational areas
Renovating houses made of mud to brick houses
Planting vegetable gardens
Building libraries and learning areas
Sending people with PTSD and mental disorders as part of their healing process
Uniqu nutrition activities
Lectures and workshops for women on feminine hygiene topics
Building music classrooms
Making schools accessible for children with special needs
Our Missions
Mosaic Mission
Between ages 20 to 70 for those that have the spark to create good beyond the daily limits and bring out the maximum for others – this is the right place for you! The nationwide mosaic missions are made up of volunteers from an array of people that are part of Israeli society. The connection between different people with a wide common goal, directed towards doing good for others, creates an enjoyable and fun reciprocal inspiration for doing, both individually and professionally.
So, if you want to do good for others, know that this is enough to come and join us. You already have a place in the hearts of our mosaic missions.
Educators Mission
Made up of people that education & teaching are part of them. Teachers, educators, educating staff and counselors that are interested in impacting and changing the world of education in Africa.
There are many tools that can be shared with the educational staff in Africa, in areas where there is no attention towards integrating special needs in classrooms, formal and informal education, and when classrooms are overloaded (sometimes 60-70 children in one classroom) it is difficult to teach and move forward.
For two weeks, the educators meet with local teachers and share unique tools and work methods that strengthen the learning methods in the classroom. They brainstorm together, on how to integrate students with difficulties or special needs, how to teach values to students along with necessary learning materials, and most of all, support them individually and professionally on numerous levels.
Nutrition Mission
In order for us to educate in this field we will want these missions to be made up of professionals from the nutrition field; nutritionists that are interested in taking part in changing nutrition amongst communities in Africa. After a process of deep understanding of the local nutrition and morbidity in Africa, we understand that nutrition is made of primarily carbohydrates: rice, potatoes and corn flour, whatever is least expensive, available and fills stomachs quickly. There isn’t enough use of what’s available at the markets: Vegetables, fruit, protein such as mung beans, eggs, fish and others, since there is a lack of awareness and financial ability. The locals prefer to sell any vegetable or fruit they grow or is available to them, rather than use it.
So how can we help?
- *Enrichment lectures on the human body, food groups and nutritional values.
- *Expand the use of local raw materials.
- *Cooking workshops to learn about healthy menus from what is available, without increasing expenses.
- *Plant vegetable gardens in order to maximize resources and abilities.
Medical Mission
Doctors, nurses, medical staff and paramedics – this is your place. We arrive at regional hospitals that serve approximately 15,000,000 people and provide daily lectures to local medical personnel from different departments, share knowledge, donate as much medical equipment as possible, train the medical professionals to use the equipment, and sometimes if needed, participate in complicated medical treatments and procedures, and take part in surgeries.
Water Mission
We combine college students and experts from the field of Water System Engineering in order to measure the quality of the water in villages. During 2021-2022, in partnership with Tel- Aviv University, we became acquainted with the area and mapped it out, we trained local women that continued the work in additional villages. These women trained the residents in regard to the quality of their drinking water.
Provides practical and accessible solutions for purifying drinking water in the villages and local communities in authentic methods as much as possible, so that it can be kept and continued for the future, even after the professional mission is complete.
Volunteers from the Mosaic Mission are trained in order to share the contents with the schools so that there is no need for specific missions, and they are able to teach a basic lesson plan on the topic of water quality.
Each mission of ours will take notice of the water system at the schools, suitable and proper water tanks, drinking water taps and for washing hands.
Including people with mental disorders as part of the Mission
From internal research that we conducted with our volunteers, we saw that volunteering in Africa is empowering and even serves as a genuine healing tool, and that’s when we came up with the idea of including people with mental disorders and PTSD. In 2021, the first Mosaic Mission included people with mental disorders and PTSD.
The healing process is a life-long challenging journey, and we discovered that even two weeks create a path to the hearts of those healing. We saw how slowly but surely, the feeling of self-worth was strengthened, how being an outsider became a feeling of belonging, how there was an understanding that developed regarding each and everyone’s place in the world, and about the ability to give to others and create something new.
We aspire to include them in missions throughout the year, those with mental disorders and PTSD that are interested in giving & receiving, to have the opportunity to join these missions along with everyone else. The organization has experts in the field that provide guidance.
For this purpose, we added the possibility of donating specifically for this project (as this mission requires additional resources, such as expert staff).
More about our missions
Participating in a mission requires advance registration and passing an interview that examines compatibility. After being accepted, it is required to undergo training in Israel prior to the mission.
The training prepares you for the volunteer experience, practical training that includes what is being done in Africa, and exposure you to the unique culture and local lifestyle.
You volunteer with your mission in Israel before going to Africa and you’ll initiate events and social projects to raise funds and create partnerships for the purpose of the mission and its success. These are 3 months of fun where you’ll get to know new people that are kind and with their heart in the right place.
4 missions a year
During the year, there are 4 missions to Africa – during the Jewish holidays, Sukkot Hannukah & Passover and during the summer (July-August).
Signing up for each of the four is done separately, and the opening of registration is posted on our website, Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, threads and LinkedIn.
The volunteers on the mission
Each mission includes 40 participants, men and women, between the ages 18 to 70.
Each mission will arrive at a school which a representative from the organization previously approved on a preliminary visit and will volunteer there for 14 days. Volunteering usually includes a connection with the local community.
Costs and accommodations
The cost of the mission is 6,000-7,000 NIS (depending on the cost of the airfare to the destination) that can be paid in 3 installments by credit card.
The cost includes airfare, accommodation, transportation, 3 meals a day, mineral water, one special day trip, local guidance throughout the volunteering period, 2 Israeli mission leaders beginning from preparation time in Israel, a global satellite phone for each mission, shirt and hat and a training in Israel.
Does not include Insurance,
vaccinations, a visa (between 50-80USD) and COVID-19 tests (if required).
Accommodation: The rooms at the hostel are basic, you will share rooms with a number of volunteers, and basic showers.
Meals: Primarily based on carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit.
Additional questions?
Additional & complete details can be found in the tab on our website called “common questions.” In case of any additional questions or necessary information, please click on the “Contact Us” tab.
