Rodaina - رودينه - רודינה

Approximately 1 in 10 Bedouins in Israel suffer from at least one severe genetic disease. We’re on a mission to change that. We are a non-profit that aims to decrease the prevalence of genetic diseases in the Bedouin community in Israel by spearheading premarital genetic testing and awareness raising through a community-based approach. We believe in the importance of a healthy beginning for all children - notwithstanding culture, tradition, geography or socio-economic status. Rodaina (previously known as ‘Genesis for Community Health’) conducts a range of activities aimed at raising genetic testing awareness and providing related educational programming in conjunction with existing community frameworks, and is developing a system that includes genetic screening tailor-made for the Bedouin community. Rodaina’s unique model is geared toward the testing of all Bedouin teenagers and young adults before marriage, and the establishment of a Bedouin genetic database that identifies intended couples at risk so that they can make informed decisions about marriage and childbearing. With the majority of the organization’s staff and volunteers themselves Bedouins who have grown up in the communities which they now serve, Rodaina is respected by the community and its leadership, and offers a trusted and empowering alternative to failed institutionally initiated genetic screening projects. Our mission is rooted in using health as a bridge to prosperity by making preventative treatment the best and easiest choice of action, while maintaining the values of health equality, respect for culture and accessible healthcare.