Educational work environment for dropout youth
Our Mission
Imagine living on the fringes of society. Perhaps you are on the streets, discarded by your family. Maybe you struggle with drug/alcohol addiction, are a victim of abuse, or are bewildered after leaving your cloistered ultra-orthodox community. How must you feel being told that you are unimportant and will never amount to anything? You couldn't possibly feel more alone, vulnerable, or invisible. Now imagine someone taking a chance on you, reminding you that you are worth it!
Kaima, or "sustainability" in Aramaic, is a word that embodies society's collective obligation to preserve the environment and nurture this generation of youth well into the future.
Kaima is an educational farming network that uses the tool of employment and the magic of nature to engage and empower teens and young adults, ages 15-21, as they explore alternatives to traditional educational and social settings. Using the farm as our outdoor classroom, Kaima’s mission is to help the individual turn his/her life around through a multi-layered process combining hands-on organic farming, leadership development, business learning, and community development.
Recognizing the many important programs within Israel's non-profit and government sectors already providing critical support for this population, Kaima's unique approach connects skill acquisition, hands-on learning, hard work, self-determination, intergenerational collaboration, and, notably, financial remuneration to bring home the message that anything is possible. And, of course, it all takes place outdoors!
Our Start
Chanukah 2012: A group of young Israeli social entrepreneurs gathered to consider how to merge their passion for organic farming to improve the lives of young people unable to adapt to conventional indoor, adult-driven learning frameworks. Our location: An abandoned, rock-strewn patch of land in Beit Zayit, a moshav on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Preparing the site required backbreaking attention, as the land wasn't ready for us. We, however, were ready for the land; ready to invest time and love into bringing it back from its centuries-long slumber. This involved removing boulders, weeds, and debris, loosening the soil for root growth, testing and adjusting the soil's pH and nutrient levels, and ensuring adequate drainage.
After a few months, thanks to our committed founders and a motivated group of hard-working community volunteers, we planted our first crops and welcomed our first youth. Today, Kaima Beit Zayit encompasses 50 dunam (12 acres) of fertile land, which yields enough produce to feed 2,500 people weekly. It also serves as the prototype farm in our growing social farming network, which has enabled us to impact the lives of thousands of young people and the general community.
Our Operating Principles
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Every person has the inner desire and capacity for self-improvement.
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Even the most disenfranchised, including those who have been expelled from school and other programs, are worthy and must be both encouraged and equipped to start anew.
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For some, effective learning is the result of interactive experience, not conventional classroom lessons.
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The healing power of nature can be harnessed as part of a sustained program to transform individual lives and move people from isolation to engagement.
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Non-hierarchical intergenerational systems challenge stereotypes of different age groups and perceived limitations, foster the exchange of reciprocal knowledge, and create richer, more inclusive communities.
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The closer one is to their food source, the more efficient the food chain is, and the less energy is lost
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Every community has within its means the power to feed the hungry.
Special Projects
Residential Track
The Shepherd’s Group
Project Based Learning
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