Armed with masks and armfuls of fliers, teen leaders from Dror Israel’s youth movement in Holon have taken to the streets to fight the spread of the coronavirus
Participants from Dror Israel’s two youth movement branches in the central Israeli city of Holon are raising awareness among local residents about coronavirus prevention and protection guidelines. A collaborative project with city hall, the goal of the project is to curb the spread of the virus in the city.
In groups of four to five, the teens walked around central areas of the city and handed out masks and informational fliers to anyone they encountered on the sidewalk who wasn’t wearing a mask. This was no easy task, as some pedestrians responded to them with frustration. They met people who felt that the government wasn’t doing its part to help prevent the spread of the disease, so they shouldn’t be expected to either.
“Some of the conversations we had on the street were really hard,” Idan Mizrahi (24), senior counselor fo the Holon branch explained. “People are angry. But these teens feel responsible for making sure that their city doesn’t become a hotspot of infection, so they really explained to people the seriousness and importance of wearing masks. As leaders in the youth movement, it’s nothing new for these teens to feel responsible for their community.”
Most of the people they met on the street were appreciative that the youth movement members took the time to give them a mask and explain to them how to stay safe. Many of them weren’t aware of the efficacy of mask wearing and proper hand-washing. Local residents expressed pride in seeing a group of young people taking action to raise awareness.
The teens also went inside local businesses and distributed small stacks of masks and fliers for the shopkeepers to hand out to customers. They explained to the business owners that everyone has a part to play in making sure that Holon doesn’t become a “red zone” (a term given to hotspot cities which require a higher level of restriction).