The initiative of the Kiryat Malachi municipality and the Be'er Tuvia District Council, the Ofek project was established in 1983 to include both a factory employing hundreds of physically challenged adults, and sheltered housing for them.

Beyond being an economic enterprise in the full sense of the word, Ofek serves as a home and life work for its employees and administrators.

Ofek for the Community

The employment of physically challenged workers completely changes attitudes towards this population: from those who must be supported by the community to those who can and want to contribute to society and be a part of it.

The factory enables the physically challenged to work, to increase their income which is based solely on disability benefits, to live normal lives and to become rehabilitated.

A professional and devoted team of counselors works with the employees, caring for them, guiding and instructing them and supervising the technical and operational side of their jobs.

Ofek for Businesses

The present Ofek factory is located in Kiryat Malachi and covers 1,100 square meters. To date, approximately 350 physically challenged individuals have worked at the factory, and more than 100 have already found permanent places of work.

The factory serves as an industrial contractor for other factories in the area which pay for these services and benefit from professional and profitable work. As the factory is recognized as a non-governmental organization, Ofek charges for its services, but does not add VAT.

Factories, institutions and individuals enlightened enough to grasp the potential inherent in the factory, reduce their costs and realize a clear profit.

Many of the factories bring us raw materials and get back a finished product, thereby saving themselves high personnel expenditures.

Recently, we are working on the planning and construction of a new factory that will permit greater access for workers and suppliers (the present factory is located on the second floor, making moving merchandise in and out difficult), and increase the production line area, as well as employment. Thus, we will be able to hire additional workers and also help them integrate into work and life. In order to build the new factory, we must raise donations.

Please help us build the new factory.

Work Principles
Three principles guide us in Ofek's operation:

1. Practicality – each worker in the factory is treated according to his/her abilities – not disabilities. Note that every worker is screened by a professional admissions committee, which certifies his/her fitness to work.

2. Professionalism – the worker is treated using the knowledge and professional tools in the fields of agromechanics, social work and psychology.

3. Belonging – from the perception that the community is responsible for the physically challenged in its purview, the ownership of the factory is vested in the hands of the Be'er Tuvia District Council and the Kiryat Malachi municipality, although the factory's professional team has been granted a great deal of independence.

Ofek's administration is gratified by its work on behalf of the community, and believes that bringing the physically challenged into the free work marketplace is a great accomplishment. The Ofek factory serves today as an example and model for future factories all over the country.