Core Areas
"Only by investing in the Bedouin community's human capital will we be able to contribute significantly to its members' wellbeing and economic growth"
To make our vision a reality, we chose to take action in six core areas, mapping milestones towards achieving a better life for the Negev Bedouins
Economic Development
and Employment
Transforming the Negev Bedouin community from a burden into a growth engine.
Why? The Bedouin demographic has the lowest average salary and one of the highest unemployment rates in Israel, and these are only two of many metrics indicating this population's grave financial situation. When it comes to Bedouin women, the trends are even worse. In 2018, only 25% of Bedouin women were employed.
However, we have seen that when provided with the right conditions and accommodations that work with their lifestyles, Bedouin women are capable, dedicated, and professional workers
How? We started employment initiatives for women. Currently, our organization runs these initiatives in collaboration with third-party professional organizations. In the future, we will outsource these initiatives and assist the third parties as needed.
What? We run several initiatives that create jobs where Bedouin women are respected. The initiatives cater to diverse abilities and education levels.
These are our primary initiatives: a program for employing women in agriculture, joint initiatives in manufacturing (a pilot with SodaStream in Kuseife), an initiative supporting young entrepreneurs (backed by local authorities), an online marketing employment program for academic graduates (Rotem as an evolving model), and a program for developing the tourism hospitality sector in the Negev Bedouin community.
Education
Designing an education system that helps Bedouin youths reach their full potential.
: Why? ? The current Bedouin education system relies on tribal ties and makes it difficult for students to succeed academically. Only 14% of Bedouin high school graduates are accepted into higher education, compared to 25% in the Arab sector and 50% in the Jewish sector. The dropout rate is also staggering.
How? We created an innovative education model that changes the current paradigm, takes a holistic view of education and includes an engaging learning environment, quality content, and talented management selected based on their professionalism rather than tribal affiliation.
The model consists of 6 main principles: education from birth to employment; 21st-century skills; learning languages from native speakers; socio-emotional education provided alongside academic education; encouraging students to be involved in their communities; and encouraging parents to be involved in school life.
What? We run several initiatives that create jobs where Bedouin women are respected. The initiatives cater to diverse abilities and education levels.
Life Expectancy
Closing the 7-year gap between the Bedouin community and the rest of Israel's socio-geographical periphery.
Why? On average, the Bedouin demographics' life expectancy is 7 years shorter than in the rest of Israel's geographic periphery and 10 years shorter than life expectancy in central Israel. These tragic figures are comprised of several factors, including: infant mortality at 3 times the national average and only 2.7% of Bedouins over 60 and 25% of all Bedouins have supplementary health insurance (compared to 80% in the Jewish sector). These data show just how dire the life expectancy situation is in the Bedouin community.
How? To solve these issues, we need to take action on several fronts. On one front, we encourage and help young people enter existing leadership programs, thus leveraging their strength and helping the community. On another, we develop new programs to meet the needs of young Bedouin university and college students and the demand for talented employees.
What? Our efforts are divided into three main channels:
1. Establishing a healthcare center to provide excellent ambulatory healthcare services
2. Pushing for local government public health departments to take responsibility for people's health in their jurisdictions.
3. . Encouraging more Bedouins to become qualified in medical and paramedical professions.
Human Capital Development
Helping the Bedouin community find a cohesive voice that rises above the inter-tribal differences and represents the community as a whole and gains legitimacy in the eyes of the authorities.
Why? Young Bedouin men and women face many challenges when trying to hold key positions in various sectors: from the lack of information and publications in Arabic to difficulties in funding their education to discrimination and exclusion.
How? To solve these issues, we need to take action on several fronts. On one front, we encourage and help young people enter existing leadership programs, thus leveraging their strength and helping the community. On another, we develop new programs to meet the needs of young Bedouin university and college students and the demand for talented employees.
What? Yanabia works on two main fronts: We run several initiatives that create jobs where Bedouin women are respected. The initiatives cater to diverse abilities and education levels.
1. Mapping the existing leadership programs, making them accessible to Bedouin youth, supporting the young men and women through the application and screening process, and eventually establishing a network of leadership program graduates with the goal of unifying the discourse in the Bedouin community, thus gaining recognition from its members and amplifying its voice to affect relevant government decisions.
2. . Promoting advanced employment programs for Bedouin youths in tech jobs where high training costs and low prestige create a shortage of workers. This includes funding the training process and guaranteeing employment.
Innovative Housing
Transforming the Negev Bedouin community from a burden into a growth engine
Why? All unrecognized Bedouin towns and villages are inhabited by distinct tribal populations. This severely limits the possibility of providing services in public spaces, thus preserving the low level of service available to Negev Bedouins.
How? Working with our partners in the local authorities, in the government and in civil society, we have created a model for a non-tribal village/neighborhood inhabited by those who seek a higher standard of living, independent of the traditional tribal structure. Once we have a case study for this model's success, we expect the inhabitants of existing villages to push for a higher standard of living as well. This will help create public service mechanisms that focus on the people.
What? We are working to promote our model in hopes of bringing about a government decision on the matter. This new village will serve as a model not only for the Bedouin community but for all of Israel.
So far, local leaders and mayors have signed a petition supporting the new model. We have also received support from steering committees, including high-ranking government administrators and elected officials.
Local Government
A thriving Bedouin community that fulfills its potential and achieves full integration into wider Israeli society.
Why? ? ? The Bedouin local authorities in the Negev are one of our key focal points for effecting change in Bedouin society, both as a standalone issue and as a platform for our other activities. Therefore, with proper action and in light of positive trends, Bedouin local government has the potential to facilitate the major strides everyone is hoping for; but it could also act as a glass ceiling and obstacle to the extensive efforts to bring about change. This understanding led Yanabia to establish our Local Government Division, which is led by a small team with professional experience and expertise in both local and central government.
What? Together with our partners in the government and civil society, Yanabia’s Local Government Division works to support Bedouin local authorities in the Negev in two key areas: influencing policy, and professional activity in close engagement with the needs on the ground.
We operate with four main strategies: the municipal accelerator program, professional knowledge communities, knowledge infrastructures for impact and initiating partnerships. Learn more
How? The division is led by Roei Dahan, who previously served as the deputy director general of the Ministry of Interior and has extensive experience in the municipal and public sector. At his side is Michal Aviram Pasvolsky, the local government development coordinator, a graduate of the Cadets for Municipal Service program who has several years of experience working in the Beer Sheva municipality. Yanabia’s small but professional team coordinates a group of outstanding experts, facilitators, researchers and directors who previously held positions in strong local governments and are available to participate actively in training Bedouin local governments.