About Us:
The organization began its activity in 2009 as a male and female student cell at Ben Gurion University in the Negev following the lack of a response to the plight of asylum seekers in the Negev. Today, over a decade later, we are still the only organization based in the south that helps this community.
In March 2021 we became a registered association.
We are guided by the belief that we, as citizens of a country established by and for refugees, have the duty to help those who are persecuted, and that their lives are in danger in their country.
We are working to create a joint community of Israelis and asylum seekers in Be’er Sheva, in our volunteer team there are also active asylum seekers, who also take part in the association’s board of directors and its leading team.
our vision:
The NGO Center for Refugees in the Negev works together with the community of asylum seekers in the city of Be’er Sheva and in the south in order to produce torturers and allow the members of the community to live with dignity and well-being, to strengthen community leadership and to support initiatives arising from the community. The association will assist in providing tools for personal and community development and will work to create connections between the community of asylum seekers and other communities in Be’er Sheva and the south.
What’s the matter?
The association’s activity focuses on four main areas:
- Education – Hebrew and English lessons for adults, language lessons for women and academic and emotional tutoring for children.
- Direct assistance and exercise of rights – an audience reception where you can receive assistance in exercise of rights is held at the center twice a week. In addition, the center supports single-parent families and individuals who suffer from health or mental difficulties that prevent them from integrating into the labor market. In addition, dry food distribution is held twice a month in collaboration with the “Letat” organization.
- Community and culture – community events, enrichment activities, celebration of holidays (Jewish, Muslim and Christian) and activity groups for youth in the afternoon. You are welcome to follow the announcements and join us at the various events.
- Advocacy – We have made it our goal to act to raise awareness of the difficult situation of asylum seekers in Israel, which refuses to examine asylum applications and recognize the status of refugees in Israel and operates a continuous policy of attrition against this community. Interested in hearing more and inviting us to a lecture? click here
join us! Dozens of volunteers work at the center, of different ages in a variety of positions. Students? You can volunteer as part of various scholarships, as well as internship programs in collaboration with Ben Gurion University and Sapir College. For more details click here
Meet our team:
Reut Loui – manager
Adam Mahjir Yidris – co-director
Shaked Rak – volunteer coordinator
Amit Spector – rights exploitation coordinator
Ron Yakir – Community Relations Coordinator
Uri Basan Devash – information coordinator
Judit Keshet – raises resources
Oksana Zemach-Verman – project coordinator
Carmen Sela – coordinator of the children’s field
members of the association
Oksana Zemach-Warman
Eitan Michaeli
Dafna Tsirulnik Jung
Judith Keshet
Moran withers
Nimrod Weinstein
Evil Louie
Our board of directors:
Ibrahim Orav Mousa
Ibrahim arrived in Israel after fleeing Dafur, Sudan in 2012. Ibrahim lives in Be'er Sheva and has been a significant activist in the center for many years. In recent years, in a number of events and lectures given by the center, Ibrahim shared in the first person the story of his escape from Sudan and the difficult emigration journey he went through on his way to Israel. Ibrahim is one of the leaders of the Sudanese community in Be'er Sheva and one of the leaders of the refugee center in the Negev. He dreams of building a normal and happy life here.
Almond only
Shaked has been active in the center for the fourth year, during her years of activity in the organization she managed to fulfill a wide variety of positions: Hebrew lesson coordinator, volunteer coordinator and community relations coordinator. For the past two years, Shaked has been part of the center's leading team and is a significant part of the decision-making and day-to-day activities in it. Has a bachelor's degree in African Studies and Sociology-Anthropology at Ben-Gurion University.
Muhammad Musa Abdelal
Muhammad Musa Abd Lalel arrived in Israel from Sudan in 2011 at the age of 19, due to the situation in Sudan he had to flee and leave his studies without being able to finish them. In the first years in Israel he worked in odd jobs, but since 2013 he has been working in a marble factory in the old city of Be'er Sheva in a position responsible for production. Mohammed has been active in the center in recent years, was part of the Hebrew and English classes and part of the community events team. In his free time he likes to play the piano.
A thousand limes
Has a bachelor's degree in social work with community training, and a master's degree in association management in the Mandel program for social leadership. Lime was part of the team of the center for refugees in the Negev during all her years of study in Be'er Sheva. Over the years she was involved in many projects, mainly in the fields of education and advocacy. Lime is responsible for creating collaborations with the "Baam University" and "Kedma" programs and the integration of asylum seekers in these programs.