Each year 5000 soldiers from disadvantaged backgrounds return to the very same hardships they left behind upon enlistment. Amit Laderech, launched in 2013, was founded in an attempt to address this ongoing crisis in the most efficient manner. The organization was conceived and initiated by Natalie Horowitz and Inbal Elisha. The two served as officers at 'Havat Hashomer' military base, a basic training camp for at-risk youth and individuals coping with adaptation difficulties. The experience at the base provided Natalie and Inbal with a first-hand exposure to the challenges faced by these soldiers, as well as with the dangers awaiting them upon return to civilian life. Both officers understood that a fully realized military service, meaningful as it may be, cannot guarantee a successful integration into adult society. Soldiers emerging from underprivileged circumstances lack an authoritative agency to help them navigate the vicissitudes of their new lives. With this in mind, the two decided to take action and began assembling a core group of likeminded partners to help them with this new initiative. The concept consisted of a personally tailored mentoring program for each soldier, professional assistance in the formulation of personal goals and objectives and, finally, a guiding hand to ensure optimal assimilation into the civilian sphere.
There are currently 200,000 young adults in risk residing in Israel. Only 30% receive even partial support. These veterans, lacking the necessary guidance and counseling, are likely to find themselves drifting back into a life consumed by adversity and distress.
Amit Laderech strives to minimize the polarization of Israeli society through the mentoring and guidance of soldiers from disadvantaged backgrounds, thus enabling them to better adjust to civilian society.
Each veteran is matched with a mentor who helps build a personal strategy: setting goals, developing practical skills, and understanding available benefits.
The mentor serves as meaningful figure to the beneficiary, providing him with an empowering inter-personal connection, as well as with an outlined plan for what awaits down the road: employment, education, housing accommodations etc., Furthermore, beneficiaries take part in workshops and professional encounters designed to support their personal agenda and provide them with the necessary tools for productive adulthood. Among the skills imparted are finance management, decision making, and vocational counseling. All members engage in social activism during their time in the program, and are expected to exhibit the same volunteering spirit as independent adults.