Computer for Gila

Until recently, Gila, 12, has been sharing a bed with her parents. The family of three lived in a one-room apartment so small that there was no room for an extra bed. Gila’s parents don’t work – her father because he is too old and in bad health, and her mother because of back and shoulder problems. Their new apartment, while still small, allows Gila a little bit of privacy. It is clean but sparsely furnished, as the family relies entirely on a government stipend.

While neither of her parents speaks fluent Hebrew, Gila has a rich vocabulary and strong language skills. She is a motivated student, responsible, well-behaved, friendly, and so sweet that, according to her social worker, “everyone wants to help her”. Gila’s parents live as frugally as they can, but they cannot cover the cost of the computer that Gila needs in order to keep up with her schoolwork and avoid falling behind.