"Thanks to the associations that stood up and did what the state did not know how to do, I was able to make a change."
Chen David/Iris Stern Levy
"In my CV you can find all the following definitions: 'woman in prostitution, trans woman, drug addict, homeless, victim of violence, sexually exploited and addicted to self-destruction'".
This is how Chen David tells about herself, just before she marks five years out of the circle of prostitution.
Chen's life was not easy, to say the least, but luckily she stumbled upon a golden opportunity, which she knew how to take advantage of with both hands.
"After I studied office management in college, I work a regular job," she adds.
"Today I am a secretary to judges in the court."
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The college believes that every woman has the right to earn a living from a profession that reflects her ambitions, dreams and desires/Iris Stern Levy
The "College" which is celebrating eight years of activity as a registered non-profit organization believes that every woman has the right to earn a living from a profession that reflects her ambitions, dreams and desires.
With the knowledge that there are many women in situations of prostitution and violence who lived a life of survival and lacked the opportunity to integrate into a circle of benevolent and accurate work for them, a social school was established that runs professional courses.
The courses are varied to increase the selection options and strengthen required skills such as: back office, training in hostels, introduction to computer graphics, secretarial and office management, supporting preschool education, digital marketing, how to speak confidently, rights at work, current affairs, English, Hebrew and more.
Alongside the school, there is an employment department that believes in the integration of the female students studying at the college through various means: preparation and/or accompaniment for the interview, job search, writing resumes, accompaniment after the integration and exhaustion of rights and assistance in the bureaucracy related to the field and everything that is necessary.
"We met Chen in the first course she took at the college on office and secretarial management," recalls Tal Hamvi, founder and co-director of the college.
"We met an impressive and smart woman who always comes to class on time, no matter what she's been through. We immediately realized that she was exactly the woman we needed to join us on the committee, because the voice she gives is very necessary for us. The tremendous strength that exists in her grace, which we immediately recognized, became clear in its full force when she told her stories."
"I was born into a Keshet Yom family, I went through severe violence and boycotts at school," Chen recalled.
"At the age of six, after my godfather left, the neighbor took advantage of this and committed a serious act of rape on me. I didn't tell anyone about it until I was 40. From there the road to prostitution was short and seemingly inevitable. I wasn't able to trust anyone. I didn't have the basic conditions he needed Every child in order to learn and follow the path and I became a rebellious boy. At the age of 16 I was thrown out of the house when neither the family helped nor the police."
"I came to the big city to try to survive," Chen added.
"The first night I fell asleep on the bench I was sexually harassed. I was innocent, I found out that everyone who supposedly wanted to protect me took advantage of me. From there it started a snowball that I couldn't stop on my own. I moved from the Electric Power Station, to the central station, Tel Baruch, the stock exchange, institutes and much more. The drugs It wasn't too late to come; for 15 years I was a heavy drug addict, I lost my humanity and so did my friends in the profession. I saw them die of overdoses, commit suicide from loneliness and be murdered. There wasn't even a real investigation on the subject because it really didn't interest anyone. Every woman in prostitution has a name, every A woman in prostitution went through severe mental anguish in her life. Thanks to the associations that stood up and did what the state did not know how to do, I was able to make a difference. While I was on the street, unable to trust anyone, the representatives of the college association, led by Iris Stern Levy and Tal Hamvi, came. I rejected them time and time again Because I didn't believe that anyone wanted my best. But the female directors of the college were determined, they didn't let up, they slowly got closer, convinced and did a real sacred work.
After five courses at the college my life changed, we started looking for a job and it was really not easy, but we didn't give up."
A team of 11 women in a beautiful office.
The College/Iris Stern Levy
Chen dreamed of leaving prostitution after 30 years and so many hardships.
She set for herself the first day of 2019 when this would happen so that she would try to save money for the days when she would look for a job, and so it happened.
"As Chen says, we really didn't give up," said the college.
"But Chen is the one who mostly didn't give up, no matter how many disappointments she experienced and how many rejections she received. Chen's persistence paid off and she got her first job after long days of wandering and searching, when it's the first time she's looking for a job that isn't prostitution. In the end she got accepted at a housewares store and was promoted Soon. The diverse courses she studied gave her tools and knowledge that thanks to them and thanks to her diligence and strength, she was quickly promoted. From there and during the Corona crisis, she found a temporary job until she was able to fulfill her dream and become a secretary as she had learned, and that's what happened - Chen has been secretary to judges at the Local Affairs Court for almost four years. Her wonderful manager says that if she had grown up in a supportive and protective environment, she would be a senior manager today. The most important resource for the association is endless love, uncompromising faith and very hard work. But all these are not enough to go to the grocery store with you.
Nofer Marshak, hostel instructor, teaches a class at the college/Iris Stern Levy
"Over the years, we have gotten to know many amazing women like Chen who worked hard and against all odds managed to build a life for themselves that they love," said Iris Stern Levy, founder and co-director of the college.
"We couldn't have done it if there weren't women, men, organizations and foundations around us who expressed faith in us and support that translated into a financial contribution that allowed us to make this magic happen. At every step, money was critical, especially when the dream before our eyes is to grow as much as possible so that as many women as possible can to learn, develop and grow. Thanks to small and large donations, we became a team that included the two female founders who were running around the city in places that agreed to host us to a team of 11 women in a beautiful, inviting and pleasant office where there are hot vegan meals throughout the day, with a branch in Haifa also opening soon. Every year the number of female students increases And so did the number and variety of courses, so Chen's incredible story is not a single story. We get to see the female students studying at the college grow, develop all the time and fulfill their dreams that they dreamed about at the beginning. Women's organizations usually receive a small, single-digit percentage towards zero The screen of philanthropy in Israel. Women in situations of prostitution and violence receive even less, certainly in times of political crisis or war. In this reality, our joy in the face of every donation is enormous and above all it warms our hearts and allows us to continue planning how to grow and influence."
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PMI - Israel - HE
In collaboration with the college association with the assistance of Philip Morris Ltd
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