In addition to managing a household for the past 16 years and their five children, Meir and Rachel Sherper of Moshav Carmel in Israel's north have another labor of love: their counseling business.
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Four years ago, the dedicated couple established their business where they've helped thousands of couples navigate life's challenges and reconnect. With their business, the couple offers personalized and group support programs that empower individuals and couples to minimize conflicts and arguments. Their focus is on fostering mutual understanding and harmony through close, respectful communication. Together they even maintain a Facebook community with 20,000 followers who engage with their content revolving on how to maintain "shalom bayit" - peace at home.
On October 7, however, everything changed and home was anything but peaceful. The couple ran into a significant challenge of their own when Meir was called up for reserve duty and most of their group courses were canceled and many of the local residents evacuated. Meir, the content mastermind, who was responsible for marketing and strategy for the company, had to pack up and leave in order to protect his homeland.
With the business frozen in place, Rachel had to face these hardships alone. Within weeks, cash flow issues started piling up and there was no sense of when Meir would return. As such, the couple turned to SparkIL to take out a loan that offers small businesses exactly what they're looking for during this time: immediate financial relief, with zero interest.
Their loan didn't come from a bank, rather, they received their nearly $14,000 check from dozens of Israelis and Jews around the world who chose to lend money through the SparkIL platform. With this financial burden no longer plaguing her, Rachel was free mentally and physically to take care of her struggling clients by offering online courses thereby giving them access to their expertise even as they were evacuated from their homes.
Today, four months on, Meir is still not able to dedicate himself to the family business due to his military obligations, but more clients have turned to Rachel and have been able to benefit from the online programming the two developed together.
As they wait for the war to end and the hostages to come back home, the couple is grateful for everyone who contributed to their loan and took part in this uplifting social experiment. They remember the days where, despite the love they felt for each other, they too, knew of shared thunderous silences and a lack of mutual understanding. Today, after overcoming that, they're able to help other couples communicate productively, and respect and listen to each other.
While the Sherper's business of keeping love alive may be unique, their circumstances are not. Across the country, many small businesses are feeling the brunt of Israel's economic crisis in the wake of the Iron Swords War. As a result, SparkIL provided an emergency 30 million NIS fund to help these struggling small businesses. As the first peer-to-peer lending platform in Israel, which works in partnership with the Ogen Group and The Jewish Agency for Israel, borrowers can have access to a loan of up to 100,000 NIS (approximately $27,300) for a five-year period. Once a business meets the criteria, and it's determined they're able to repay the loan, SparkIL launches a campaign for the business on its website inviting lenders from all over the world to contribute for as little as $25.
Moreover, unlike other crowdfunding platforms, SparkIL provides lenders with updates from the business they helped where they can monitor how their contributions are helping the business not only survive but thrive. These regular updates let lenders know how each business is doing and if any additional assistance is needed. This process yields a connection between borrowers and lenders - something that is usually missing in this relationship which is usually transactional in nature.
Na'ama Ore, CEO of SparkIL adds, "The war and the challenging time in Israel as of late required SparkIL to mobilize for small businesses and nonprofits. Our team is committed to boosting the Israeli economy, and the people behind the businesses and reinforcing the connection between Israelis and Jewish diaspora. Our goal is to reach tens of thousands of lenders who can be part of this movement and even a loan of $25 can make a difference. Everyone can join this movement of doing good."
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