Ahead of Thanksgiving, Israeli veterans are heading to Argentina to provide humanitarian aid and volunteer in underprivileged communities, as part of the Heroes For Life mission.
In just a few hours, the Heroes For Life delegation will be traveling to Argentina to help children in need. The veterans will spend every morning in Argentina mentoring school students, renovating schools, orphanages and community centers.
Heroes For Life is an Israeli organization that aims at making Israel a global superpower when it comes to helping developing countries in need by using the tremendous amount of 400,000 Israelis traveling to developing countries every decade as part of the big post army backpacking trip.
Through the work of Heroes for Life, new veterans are encouraged to take on humanitarian volunteer projects. Over the last nine years since its founding, Heroes for Life has been able to help over 7,120 children in 17 countries across the globe.
The delegation traveling to Argentina is the largest in the program’s existence, with more than 60 male and female veterans. The work of the volunteers is divided into teams, with the morning shift being dedicated mainly to painting and restoration, which are designed and executed by the backpacker volunteers. The afternoon shift is dedicated to teaching the kids several themes, such as English, mathematics, music, personal values and dental care.
One of the principles of the group is the continuity of work made by every delegation, as each expedition works with the same kids as the previous delegations to create a beautiful and valuable connection with the local population.
This project was inspired by a group of three former elite Israeli soldiers who served in the counter-terrorism unit. Many Israeli veterans tend to take trips to developing countries when their service is done in the army. Heroes For Life works with many of these novel veterans to dedicate two weeks of their trips to humanitarian aid to create stronger bonds between Israel and communities across the globe.
Founder of Heroes For Life, Gili Cohen said, "As so many new veterans are having their post-army trips around the world and it has become a trend for young Israeli veterans, we wanted to capitalize this huge amount of Israelis overseas to make a difference in underprivileged communities worldwide.
“As Israelis, we have advantages, coming from a nation of immigrants. The veterans speak multiple languages, in addition to Hebrew, and are excited to connect with children around the world. We also have the Jewish communities around the world joining us and helping us translate. In terms of logistics, there are 4,000 Chabad houses around the world, alongside Israeli embassies which help us in each destination. All together, empower those in need and create a positive impact that lasts.”