Hetz Umatara (in English: Arrow and Target) delivers informal education programming to children and teens from poor and underserved communities, with the aim of reducing gaps in Israeli society and promoting equal opportunity for all populations.
The organization established the social project "HaMaslul – Cycling the Path to Achievement" in 2015.
Cycling provides the path to our goals. Bicycles are the tools.
The goal is to initiate positive change in the lives of the kids and promote their integration into society.
The nonprofit runs an educational program for kids that uses bicycles and trail riding as a tool for life-skill development, and also offers training for bicycle mechanics and cycling instructor assistants starting at age 16, as well as employment in the cycling industry.
To date, over 2500 children and teens aged 9-18 from Israel’s social and geographical periphery have participated in program. They include Arabs and Jews, secular and religious kids, new immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and among them are children and teens from special education settings.
This is an ongoing yearly program held at the nonprofit’s four club facilities. Services include cycling equipment, and the centers are located in close proximity to suitable areas for riding, in South Tel Aviv Park, Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv, Jaffa Port, and south of Israel. The program also hosts a number of culminating events and cycling camps throughout the year at various sites in Israel.