24.1.05
Michael Cherney Foundation supported My Own Picture Album project, developed for Israeli orphans and children from broken families.

My Own Picture Album is a brainchild of Yeladim (“Children”), a charity that has opened 80 children’s homes across Israel since it was established in 1986. Today these homes take care of over 10,000 children under 14.

Children are placed in these homes by courts and social services. Most were abandoned or abused by parents. Yeladim seeks to provide them with opportunities equal to those enjoyed by children who live with their families. To this end Yeladim has developed a package of educational, rehabilitation, and medical programs.

One such program is My Own Picture Album. Children who live in their families have their pictures taken on plenty of occasions – family celebrations, outings, and so on. Children in the home do not have as many opportunities, and this is where Yeladim steps in to fill the gap.

Each child gets a personal picture album, which will include the most memorable moments of his or her life, thus forming a personal history of sorts. This album will help the child develop self-respect, creativity, and self-identification. The process of accumulating pictures enhances the child’s self-confidence, generates positive emotions, hones his interactive skills, helps express his desires and dreams.