Scaling Human Kindness: The Heroes for Life Startup: Scaling human kindness and leveraging the human capital of Israeli veterans, Heroes for Life is a nonprofit startup that sends volunteers to poverty-stricken areas worldwide to provide aid and support. With a focus on education and community improvement, this startup is making a lasting impact and plans to expand its operations in the future.

Introduction

In this age of dizzying technological innovation, when AI seems to offer better alternatives in almost every field, it is surprising that no one (that we know of) has invented the technology to spread human kindness or scale human capital. But now, a fascinating humanitarian startup aimed at scaling human kindness is emerging out of the country that has turned innovation into a culture and entrepreneurship into a way of life.

Scaling Human Kindness: The Heroes for Life Startup

Every year, thousands of young Israelis who served in the IDF’s elite units travel to poverty-stricken areas around the world and devote their energies and skills to helping disadvantaged communities. To date, 32 thousand young men and women have taken off their uniforms, traveled to other countries, and changed the lives of people they never met before. In the last few weeks alone, these young Israelis have brought hope to impoverished neighborhoods and communities in ten different countries.

The Journey of Heroes for Life

In Israel, after high school, you are drafted into the army. Traditionally, after army service, these young veterans work and save up for a long trip abroad, a last chance for an adventure before adulthood obligations. But many young Israelis who complete their grueling military service in elite combat units are exhibiting a high level of military discipline and opting to take a break from travels to dedicate themselves to a higher cause and volunteer for two weeks in communities they never knew before. Even though they do not get any compensation of any sort for the hard work they put in, they willingly and enthusiastically join the humanitarian volunteer delegations of Heroes for Life.

The Birth of Heroes for Life

“The idea came to me purely by accident,” admits the founder of Heroes for Life, Major (res.) Gili Cohen, with a smile. After completing his extended army service as the commander of an elite unit, he surrendered to the pressure of his family and took a two-week trip to Thailand. “I was surprised to see so many young Israelis just released from service,’’ he says. He also describes the more difficult sights he encountered: the poverty, the neglect and worst of all, the lack of hope. “There were signs in orphanages asking tourists to volunteer for a day. One Shabbat evening, we went to the Friday kiddush at the Chabad house in Koh Samui, and there were thousands of young former soldiers there, right and left, young people who have been through so much and who have so much to give to a place where there is so much need.

Building a Legacy

Cohen identified this rare opportunity and founded a non-profit organization that he funded almost entirely at first from his own savings. Ten years later, it appears that he has built a legacy. “I realized that this was an important opportunity to do good for others while showing the world the true face of Israel and the IDF.” In recognition of his work, he was listed in the Israeli 30 under 30 list. The system that he put in place, which utilizes available human resources to fulfill humanitarian needs, created the foundation for a scalable, effective startup. The organization does not finance the travel expenses of the volunteers, it doesn’t organize any flashy or exotic activities in the distant countries where it operates, and offers no benefits, On the contrary, the conditions are harsh: volunteers work around the clock for 14 intensive days; they sleep on mattresses in a small and crowded room of the local Jewish community center, they take instructions from strict team directors, and more often than not, travel to dangerous areas. And yet, tens of thousands of soldiers apply every year for these delegations. Very few are accepted.

Expanding Activities and Impact

Today, the organization manages its operations in sixteen different countries along the regular routes that young Israelis take when they travel after their army service; it plans to double its activities in the coming years. Last month forty veterans arrived in Rio. They came from treks in Bolivia, from the waterfalls of Argentina or the carnival in Salvador for two intense weeks of community work in the favelas. They huddle in the rooms assigned to them at the Bar Ilan Jewish Community Center of Copacabana, and instead of planning their next trek, they prepare lesson plans, draw the multiplication table and lay the ground for renovation and cleaning projects. One part of the volunteer work involves educational activities with the children in the favelas of the city, such as teaching English, math, and personal hygiene. The second part is dedicated to renovating and improving the living conditions of these children.

Making a Lasting Impact

“When I joined the delegation as a translator, I crossed the bridge for the first time and came to these areas of the city,” says Jonathan, from the local Jewish community, who has been part of the program for several years. “It is heartwarming to see how, year after year, these dedicated young people are making an impact on the children.” Noy, who just completed her service in an elite unit, describes how appreciative the local children are for their time with the Israeli volunteers. “We do things with them that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to do in any other situation and most of all, we give them hope.” The volunteers explain that they do everything they can to give these children some hope, even though it seems that many have lost all hope long ago. “Knowledge is power and we want to empower them. We want them to experience success and in that way, motivate them to learn. They live in a challenging environment, but when things get really bad, they can remember that feeling of success and strive for more.”

Working with Local Communities

Heroes for Life has been working with for several years in a small school in one of the favelas. Captain (res.) Liran Ronen, head of the delegation, says that it is heartbreaking to see how some children lose their sense of innocence and hope from one year to the next and surrender to the culture surrounding them. Ronen, who started her journey with the organization as a volunteer, has been managing the organization’s daily activities. “After years of serving in the Artillery Corps, I wanted to continue to contribute in a meaningful way,” she says. Her partner in the delegation, Barak Choy, adds: “There is something about our army service that is similar to this situation. If there is a sense of meaning and success, there is progress. This is our mission.”

Empowering Through Education

The volunteers enter the classrooms with the lesson plans they prepared ahead of time. Strong, former combat soldiers stand in front of a class of ten-year-olds who, according to the Brazilian school system, learn only three hours a day. When the young adults from Israel draw three clouds on the board with Martin Luther King’s famous phrase “I have a dream,” the students are captivated. When the volunteers ask them to draw clouds and list three of their personal dreams, they take on the task with the utmost seriousness. They spend time consulting with one another (one child even wants to ask his mother what she thinks he should write). Before their mission comes to an end, they get to celebrate with the children. In one of the schools, the principal gets emotional: “We knew from the beginning that this project would connect our children to the world in a unique way. The first year was a shock for the kids in a good way. They loved the togetherness. Beyond the fact that we wanted their help in painting the school, we realized there was educational value in the program because the children got a chance to interact with high-quality people from a different culture, who speak a different language and have a different point of view. Now it’s really part of the yearly schedule and has significantly increased the value of the school.”

Changing Perspectives

She remarks that throughout the year the school introduces into its curriculum some of the activities carried out by the volunteers and the program has also influenced her to do things a little differently. In the beginning, she explains, there were teachers who did not like the connection to Israel and to IDF soldiers. “The students didn’t really know anything about Israel, but various teachers did express concerns because they had heard things on the news. With time, they began to appreciate and connect with the volunteers. They were afraid that politics would be discussed, but they quickly noticed the spirit of peace that the volunteers brought with them. She adds that most of all, the volunteers set a good example. “In the middle of their travels, they stop everything and devote their time and energies to volunteer work, while exhibiting positive norms of behavior, a high work ethic and mutual responsibility.”

Expanding Impact and Future Plans

The delegation in Rio has completed its mission. The veterans have gone back to their trips and new delegations are beginning their work around the globe. While Heroes for Life has the characteristics of a startup, it doesn’t do funding rounds and operates mostly with donations. It is a life-changing initiative that is already seeking to scale significantly and expand its operations. With unparalleled human resources scattered across the world in the form of motivated volunteers ready to follow orders and get to work at any given moment, this is a startup that will greatly benefit countries, cities, and communities. This is a startup that communities in need can make use of by simply reaching out. The organization hopes to double its activities and help more and more communities around the world. “We are determined to continue the tradition of hard work and commitment to the greater good,” concludes Gili. “We are proud of the IDF’s human capital.”

Sources:

• logiclabsai.com
• Forbes

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