Prizewinners: SAHI for Evacuated Youth

Project by Nochach e.V. – Giving as a way of life

Young people have been particularly affected by the consequences of October 7. Many were exposed to brutal atrocities and lost relatives and friends. In the first weeks after the Hamas attacks, many young people were evacuated to temporary accommodation for an indefinite period. The young people were torn away from their familiar surroundings and routines, leaving many feeling lonely and hopeless.

In response to the urgent needs of young people, the Special Hessed (Grace) Unit for Evacuated Youth, SAHI for short, launched a program with evacuated young people in various Israeli cities, in November 2023. Under the slogan “We are not here to help you, we need your help to help others”, the young people meet once a week in the evening, pack aid packages and distribute them together to families and elderly people in need.

SAHI offers the affected evacuated young people a support framework in which they can regain their self-efficacy and process what they have experienced. Thus, the young people regain a sense of belonging and purpose, strengthening not only their own resilience but also that of their community.

Shimon Peres Prize 

The Shimon Peres Prize 2024 was awarded to two outstanding German-Israeli cooperation projects that strengthen democratic values in Israel and Germany with their strong commitment to long-lasting empowerment and inclusion. The award-winning projects promote dialog and engagement between young people in both countries in a variety of ways and are particularly committed to emancipation and inclusion. Both projects serve as a ray of hope and an opportunity for communities and thus enable a positive view of the future. In difficult times like these, this is more important than ever.