How smart is the country you live in? Very interesting to read Forbes report and ranking of the 25 smartest countries in the world.
Voucherclowd performed the research and rated countries collective intelligence according to three factors: the number of Nobel Prizes each nation has won to represent historic intelligence, the current average IQ and ‘education attainment’ to represent the potential intelligence of the next generation.
What’s interesting to note is Asia’s dominance in the top 5 spots for average IQ and educational attainment with Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan picking up top spots. The United States only racked up 28th spot for average IQ, 4 spots ahead of Russia but way off China in second place.
As an Israeli, it’s firstly good to see Israel amongst the top spots and quite impressive coming in 15th for average IQ and Nobel Prizes but 42nd for average IQ.
After working many years in the plastics industry in Israel, Pablo Kaplan founded Wheelchairs for Hope, an Israeli venture with a goal of impacting the lives of millions of disabled children in developing countries. Of the 65 million people worldwide who require a wheelchair for mobility, approximately 20 million of them do not have access to one, including five million children.
Pablo, with over 30 years’ experience in the plastics industry, plans to change this and his organization, Wheelchairs of Hope, might do just that. Pablo served as the Vice President of Marketing at Keter Plastics, an Israeli manufacturer of plastic household and garden products, a popular brand in Israel. He set out to create a wheelchair for children that would be affordable as well as comfortable, lightweight, built to last and most importantly would boost the self-esteem of those that used it.
He contacted his friend and colleague from his days at Keter, Dr. Amir Ziv Av, now the owner of Ziv Av Engineering Group, and together they developed a lightweight chair – 10 kilograms (22 pounds) as opposed to the standard 15 kilograms – that is able to handle off-road conditions, requires zero maintenance and is simple to assemble. They worked with occupational therapist seating specialists at Jerusalem’s Alyn hospital, who provided vital insights for the design of the chair, most important of which was that it would look more like a high chair than a medical device, making it kid-friendly and giving each child a special feeling. The best part of the design is that it can be purchased for only $100.
Initial funding for the development of the chair came from his private funds and a grant provided jointly by Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The World Health Organization in Switzerland, the Red Cross and UNICEF (To Life Children’s Fund) all joined in the project, as well as Nobel laureate Aaron Ciechanover, a personal friend of Kaplan, who has promoted the chair worldwide.
Kaplan was joined in the venture by his partner, Chava Rotshtein, and together their vision is to distribute one million chairs over the next decade and to turn the project into a social business venture. The first shipment included 250 wheelchairs for children in institutions in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with a batch for residents of the refugee camps in Syria soon to follow. And over 600 wheelchairs are being delivered to disabled children in Peru and Tajikistan, funded by a philanthropic foundation and the World Health Organization and other organizations globally are in advanced stages of negotiations for the chair. According to Kaplan, “Mobility empowers access to education and future independence. That is our motto.”
Click here to learn more – https://wheelchairsofhope.org/
Liel Gidoni z”l was a commander in the Givati brigade of the Israeli army who was tragically killed in Gaza in 2014. He was well-liked amongst the soldiers and he used to tell them every morning, during line-up, “Smile because a smile is happiness and happiness gives us the strength to go on.”
In order to honor Gidoni’s memory an organization Aruchat Esser or “Lunch at Ten,” was founded by his family together with Rabbi Ohr Ziv, a local Chabad Rabbi in Katamon, Jerusalem. Together, they decided to make sure that Liel’s smile continues to shine for many more years to come.
“Aruchat Eser” distributes 1000+ sandwiches to children in need everyday in schools throughout the city, during lunch break at 10:00. Every morning a team of Aruchat Esser volunteers meet at 06:30 and prepare the sandwiches which are distributed to school principles throughout the city. They then ensure that those sandwiches reach the kids that need them during lunch break at 10. Every morning a team of Aruchat Esser volunteers meet at 06:30 and prepare the sandwiches which are distributed to school principles throughout the city. They then ensure that those sandwiches reach the kids that need them during lunch break at 10. The sandwiches are made from fresh food bought the day before and each day something new is provided. They are also provided in a discreet way to protect the children’s privacy. In addition, an extra food package is delivered on Fridays to ensure that these kids have something to eat on shabbat.
With all the challenges that people in Israel and around the world are going through at the moment, this initiative provides a great example of how one person can make such a big difference!
