Felix and Hila suffer from severe learning disabilities; however, with the help of the Nitzan Onim, they were able to integrate into society, to meet and get to know each other and to get married. The non-profit center celebrated this week 20 years of activity and a 90% success rate.
"We work and earn like everyone our money in an honest manner. Nobody makes exceptions for us at work and we're treated like any other workers". You're certainly asking yourself what's so special in these lines, certainly they're coming from the mouths of a normal young couple, but Felix and Hila Pelig-Roitman are a special couple, according to all opinions.
Felix (29) immigrated to Israel from Argentina at 11 years old and lived with his family in Kefar Saba. Hila (32) was born and raised in Moshav Rimon in the north of Israel. They both suffer from learning disabilities but at different levels. Felix has difficulty reading and writing and has been diagnosed with ADD and stress disorder. By contrast, Hila has had difficulty in the last four years with numerical calculations.
Neither of them served in the army as a result of their difficulties in functioning; however, they tried to integrate themselves into the job market, but were unsuccessful. Felix decided that even so he wants to live like any other person and also Hila, after several persuasions on the part of her mother, was convinced that she wants to be on a track that will lead to full independence.
They each had good fortune and landed at 6 Henrietta Sold street in Kefar Saba, the residential center of Nitzan Onim, which helps place adults with learning disabilities in the competitive job market. There, they happened to meet each other and eventually get married. "This is a unique project here in Israel and in the world," tells psychologist Rachel Regev, the director of Nitzan Onim since its opening exactly 20 years ago. "Most of the treatment of people with learning disabilities is focused on population of children and toddlers, and not with those who are already not found within an organized framework, like a school or their parent's home.
The success of Regev and her colleagues at the center is impressive, out of 200 graduates of Nitzan Onim, 90% were successful at entering the job market. "We make it clear to employers that the positions we want for our program participants are respectable positions in which they can make a contribution", notes Shemira Hershkovitch, employment director of the non-profit center for the past 18 years. "We approach employers from large and stable companies, since it's easier for them to accept workers whose amount of time to adapt to the new position is longer than regular workers. Even though I sometimes come across less pleasant reactions from different businessmen, in general, I think it's possible to be pleased by the openness and understanding of most of the employers that receive our program members for work in their companies.
The students at the Nitzan center learn over the course of two years how to behave in normal society, "without whining or complaining", as Regev makes clear. "The program members have to punch a clock to show their presence, in order to train themselves not to be late to work or class, while at the same time they are required to come to class in neat and orderly clothing as is appropriate for the job they want to receive. They organize and clean their rooms and in the time when they're not learning or doing simulations, they help to develop the garden and greenery that is around their home. The training is not only the professional realm, but also in the social area. The center's workers explain to the residents how to accept criticism from those in charge of them and how to internalize it. On the other hand, the residents learn from the employees the normal limits of casual conversation with co-workers."
The year after finishing training at Nitzan Onim, the residents begin to find places of employment, while the employers are required to pay at least minimum wage to their special employees, in contrast to others with learning disabilities that found jobs on their own with out the training of Nitzan Onim", says Regev.
Last Tuesday in Kefar Saba, was a ceremony noting 20 years since the establishment of the non-profit center, with the participation of the head of the two bodies that fund the center's activities, the Welfare Minister, Yitzchak Herzog and the CEO of the National Insurance Company (Bituach Leumi), Ester Dominisini. Felix and Hila were excited by the event. "I work as a clothing saleswoman at the store Mashbir L'Tzarkan in the Rananim Mall in Raanana. Felix works as a maintenance man at the Ezrieli Mall", tells Hila with shining eyes. We wouldn't have succeeded in doing this without the help of Nitzan Onim, and we owe them a big thanks for that. They proved to us that with the help of a strong will and desire to succeed at any price, it's possible to do anything, even if it's a little difficult. We continue prove this every day."
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