Volume 8, Issue 11 / Cheshvan 5766 / November 2005

Sparks of Science Program

"Education is extremely important to my family. Except for the youngest in the family, they are all currently learning in higher education programs," says Pnina.

Pnina Tamano (24) came to Israel at the age of three with her father and four siblings. The Jewish Agency for Israel was instrumental in finding her mother and two sisters, who were left behind in Ethiopia, and brought them to Israel to be reunited with the rest of the family.

As the granddaughter of a Kes (Ethiopian religious leader), Pnina's family is well known and respected in the community. "Education is extremely important to my family. Except for the youngest in the family, they are all currently learning in higher education programs."

Determined to get a higher education, Pnina was accepted to law school at the Ono Academic College in Kiryat Ono, which was established with support from the Jewish Agency. Currently in her last year, Pnina is working hard to make ends meet. "It is very difficult to go to school and to support myself," she says. But commitment and employment go hand-in-hand for Pnina: she works as a project coordinator for Ethiopian immigrants and also volunteers for the Jewish Agency's innovative "Sparks of Science" program at the Weizmann Institute. This innovative educational program motivates and encourages young Ethiopian high school students to excel in the sciences.

Pnina is an amazing example of how the next generation of Ethiopians can succeed in Israel and give back to their communities. She is a role model for other young Ethiopians.

To download this file as a word document, click here.