Adham Odeh, a 24-year-old resident of the Kabvir neighborhood in Haifa, a social activist with a bachelor's degree in law, who believes that change does not happen without extensive activity, tells in an interview with Lahi Feh about the activity that brought about changes in the neighborhood, about what I believe and about the future plans.
Some of you may remember him from the last elections for the local authorities as a candidate for the Haifa City Council as part of a non-political independent list. Although he was not elected, he has been working ever since to create social change within the Kabbir neighborhood and beyond.
Adham tells about his attraction and love for social activity:
Since I was a high school student I have been attracted to social and community activities out of a deep belief that change does not happen without extensive activity in the field. And if we want change, we must lift our hips and roll up our sleeves and create the change ourselves. From this place I decided not to sit on the sidelines and leave my comfort zone and start working for the community, for my neighborhood in particular and for the residents of Haifa in general.
Tell us about the Kachbir neighborhood, what problems does the neighborhood suffer from and what achievements were made in the last year?
The Kabbir neighborhood is a unique neighborhood, a kind of gem that needs polishing in order to keep its shine. That's why I started working for the advancement of the young, the demands of the young and the golden age, including the creation of centers of activity and leisure in order to create a positive and cohesive atmosphere within the neighborhood and from the belief that dealing with positive things and social activity may keep the young generation away from dealing with negative things and eradicating violence, crime and drugs.
The neighborhood, being a neighborhood that is overwhelmingly mostly one big family, suffers from problems in obtaining building permits, property tax debts and various levies that fall on the shoulders of the residents of the neighborhood. The neighborhood also suffers from poor social activity, and my main goal is to turn the tide on its face, settle the illegal construction, settle the property tax debts and the various levies and make the neighborhood a good place to live.
In the last year, with the help of other activists and young people in the neighborhood, I achieved tremendous things, including receiving generous budgets from the municipality for the purpose of leveraging social activity, and in this context, we worked to establish a soccer club, a club for the elderly, trips for the elderly, arranging shaded bus stops, we settled debts for dozens of people in the neighborhood, especially property tax debts, we started Dealing with the transformation of traffic lanes for the convenience of the residents and we are working these days to obtain budgets for the current year and planning a synthetic soccer field for the well-being of the residents of the neighborhood.
The Golden Age club intended for men is a joint initiative of myself and those responsible from the Ahmadi community and a number of residents, it is a new club because a women's club has existed and been active in the neighborhood for years. We felt the need to establish the club for men who have no employment and stay at home most of the day.
As part of the club, the men gather and meet every Wednesday to discuss among themselves and carry out various activities in addition to a number of trips that we managed to organize together such as Hamat Geder, a cruise to Acre, Jerusalem and Beit Shean.
At each meeting the number of participants increases and we feel the change and joy in this generation, some of whom reach a state of depression and lack of joy in life when they have nothing to do on a daily basis.
Cultural activities that took place during the year in the neighborhood such as a shopping fair and activities for children, a Ramadan holiday procession and more were held with the help of the social activist resident of the neighborhood Amani Odeh, a Dakka class was held with the help of coach Louis Haider. I carried out and promoted the rest of the activities myself and I must point out that there is fruitful cooperation with the representatives of the municipality and I receive support and a listening ear from the decision makers in the municipality.
How do you intend to act on the polluting trucks that pose a safety hazard in the neighborhood?
Regarding the trucks, it is possible that their very existence in the neighborhood constitutes a health and safety hazard, at the same time we will contact the municipality with a request to find a convenient and nearby parking place, they cannot be asked to park far from the neighborhood. You have to consider those truck drivers that this is their source of livelihood and every day they start the truck and go to work in the early hours of the morning.
Do you think a Kabbir road that will connect the neighborhood to Neve David and become a main road will contribute to the neighborhood and the residents or vice versa?
Regarding the construction of the axis to Neve David, the issue is controversial, so without a doubt, the construction of the axis to the Neve David neighborhood could solve many problems and make travel easier for many residents who intend to travel via the coastal road, to the sea or to the downtown and reduce the load from the axis forward, especially in the morning.
On the other hand, the Kabvir neighborhood is a unique neighborhood, and what makes it unique is the privacy and quiet that the residents enjoy, the construction of the highway to Neve David could increase the traffic in the streets of the neighborhood and cause the noise of a lot of vehicles and people will start using this highway as an alternative route to the sea road.
The municipality should take care to pave similar roads from the neighborhood of Carmelia and Dania, and in doing so it will reduce the degree of damage that we expect to be caused as a result.
what are your goals
I strive to achieve for the residents of the neighborhood the maximum required for living in the neighborhood in an adequate, respectable way, and help for the less able with levies and debts in order for them to be able to embark on a new path and engage in the construction of a positive, moral and productive society.
Well done Adham Odeh, continue on your successful path, to bring social change to your neighborhood and to the Arab society, proud of that, great man