Kaima Organic Farm in Beit Zayit

Kaima (sustainability in Aramaic) is an Israeli NGO and operating farm that successfully re-directs youth (15-18) who have dropped out of school or are on the cusp of doing so. Understanding that not all learning takes place in conventional indoor classrooms, Kaima has pioneered a unique outdoor educational process that merges organic farming, personal development, business learning, and community activities. Kaima is supported, in part, by CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) members who pay a set price for a share of the anticipated harvest which is delivered to them weekly. The Kaima twist: we created YCSA (Youth Community Supported Agriculture) to provide employment opportunities for dropout teens (identified by the Ministry of Welfare), encouraging them to develop and trust themselves and others, particularly adults; assume meaningful work; and take pride in its outcome. Our founding farm, located in Beit Zayit, just outside of Jerusalem, has successfully redirected more than 500 young people back to formal educational settings and/or substance abuse treatment programs. Embedded in our founding vision is responsible geographic export of our “employment-as-education” model. Currently, there are three Kaima farms located in communities within Israel’s social, economic and geographic peripheries. In 2018, we welcomed into our network the first farm outside of Israel, Kaima Tanzania.