He was 16 and on a well-worn path of societal isolation, educational stagnation, and other barriers to promise. One of 14 children in an Arab-Bedouin family in Israel’s Negev region, Ahamad was immersed in a cycle of inertia common to his generation.

A New Dawn in the Negev — a Good People Fund grantee — is embracing possibility and elevation … not constriction and stagnation.

“The invisible students, the invisible youth, they have to know someone is looking at them … I have the responsibility to the next generation to bring them the light of tomorrow,” says Founder and CEO Jamal Alkirnawi, an Arab-Bedouin social worker.

— “Stories of Hope” is a special series of Good People Talk!, where audio storytelling brings the impact of our Good People Fund grantees alive.

— Read The Good People Fund 2025 Journal of Good for more stories of inspiration, hope and impact:

— Thank you to our narrator: Jordan Rich of Chart Productions