Not all people we meet have been injured by Kassam Rocket attacks. Hiem is one of those people. Hiem is a 21 year-old-young man from Ethiopia with a great big smile and glad to help anyone who comes his way.  He doesn’t want to bother anyone to help him though, even though he needs it more than most. In fact, he did not come to us for help. We were introduced to him by a mutual friend who said “I want you to meet a friend of mine.”  Hiem is paralyzed from above his waist down to his toes.  Several years ago after coming home from school, he was knifed in the back by a friend. That friend (?) later killed himself in a
psychiatric jail. 

Hiem was two months in intensive care and two years in the hospital.  He lives alone in a first floor apartment in Sderot. He works four to six hours a day at Sapir college here in Sderot as a receptionist.  He says he’s learned over the last five years how to take care of himself, and he can do most everything on his own.  He has been saving to buy a new wheelchair.  His wheelchair is over five years old and he needs a new one.  The government says there is no budget to provide another one for him and at the rate he is saving it will take another five years to save the 18,000 shekels (over $5,000) it costs for a new chair.

It is out hope for Hiem to be able to help him.  Like I said in the beginning, he did not come to us asking for help. It is our heart to try and help him. It may be that someone from the states, or anywhere in the world for that matter could  bring one with them when they come to Israel or maybe there is a group, organization, fellowship or congregation that would be willing to help Hiem. It’s hard to save on a minimum wage salary (twenty shekels per hour or $5.50 USD) and pay for a taxi everyday to and from work, another area of his life he could use some help . It cost thirty shekels a day ( $8USD) for a round trip taxi ride to work – so it will be a long time before he can save enough.  If you or your group would like to help Hiem click here.