Zofnat – Research, Development and Organizational Consulting
Report of Results of Survey Conducted among Ethiopian Recipients of Keren Hanan Aynor
Scholarships
Submitted to Keren Aynor
Yuval Piurko
November 2016
Background
Over the past 21 years, Keren Hanan Aynor has provided study scholarships to close to 3,000 students of
Ethiopian descent in Israel. In order to evaluate the contribution of this scholarship to various aspects of
their lives, including economic-social aspects, the organization requested that a survey be conducted
among scholarship recipients over the years. This report presents the survey results.
Method
The survey questionnaire was formulated collaboratively by the evaluator and members of the
organization, with the objective of addressing the organization’s information needs. In July 2016, the
questionnaire was distributed to a list of approximately one thousand scholarship recipients, whose
contact information was saved in the organization’s database, in the form of an email with a link to
complete the questionnaire online. Later, three reminders were sent via text message to their mobile
phones, also including a link to the same questionnaire. These distribution efforts led to the completion
of 130 questionnaires. In order to increase the response rate, a complementary telephone survey was
conducted among 72 scholarship recipients. Overall, 202 scholarship recipients took part in the survey.
The maximum sampling error is ±7.0%.
The survey questionnaire included demographic background questions, questions regarding area of
study, questions related to employment, questions related to the perceived contribution of the
scholarship, as well as several other questions. The answers were segmented according to gender and
age group background variables. Where significant differences were noted between answers from men
and from women or between different age groups, these differences were reported.
The survey was conducted among recipients of scholarships from Keren Hanan Aynor only, without
evaluating a comparative control group of Ethiopian students from similar backgrounds who were not
assisted by a scholarship. Thus, it is not possible to isolate the organization’s unique contribution, or
attribute full causality to the scholarship’s contribution to the students. Nevertheless, the survey does
enable evaluation of the organization’s contribution as perceived by recipients of its scholarships.
This report presents the results in the following four sections: in Section A, the demographic background
data of the respondents is presented (including gender, age, city of residence and country of birth).
Section B addresses the higher education that the respondents acquired while receiving the scholarship,
including degree, area of study, year of graduation, and more. Section C addresses the contribution of
the scholarship to the respondents as they perceive it. Section D presents results related to employment
among the scholarship recipients, including expectations and connection to their area of study.
1
Zofnat Institute of Research and Organizational Consulting
20 Hyrcania St., Jerusalem – Tel. 02-6782887 – Fax. 02-6791555 – Email: [email protected]
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When available, parallel data is shown to the extent possible regarding the community of people of
Ethiopian descent in Israel, based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics or nationwide studies, in
order to provide context for the results related to the scholarship recipients.
A. Demographic Background Data


Gender: 54% of the survey respondents were women; 46% were men. Among college students
of Ethiopian descent studying in the 2014-2015 academic year, there was a greater discrepancy
in favor of women – 70% of the Ethiopian students were women1.
Age: 45% of the respondents were between the ages of 31-40; 38% were between 41-50. The
remainder were younger or older (see Illustration 1).
Illustration 1 – Distribution of respondents according to age group



Country of birth: 96% of the respondents were born in Ethiopia, and the remainder were born
in Israel. Approximately a third of the respondents immigrated in Operation Moses (1984) and a
quarter immigrated in Operation Solomon (1991).
City of residence: The respondents are widely dispersed, with the prominent cities being
Rehovot (9%), Jerusalem (8%), Netanya and Petah Tikva (7% each), Ashdod and Be’er Sheva
(6%), Ashkelon (4%). This list is completely overlapping with the list of cities in Israel where the
Ethiopian population lives in the greatest numbers – with the exception of Rishon Lezion, where
approximately 7,700 Ethiopians live, and which is the second-largest city in terms of its
Ethiopian residents2, but among the survey respondents, it’s representation is fairly limited, at
just 2.5%.
Children: 85% of the respondents have children.
1
CBS, Press Release, The Ethiopian Population in Israel – Data Collection in Honor of the Sigd Holiday, November 9,
2015. http://www.cbs.gov.il/reader/newhodaot/hodaa_template.html?hodaa=201511302
2
Ibid.
2
Zofnat Institute of Research and Organizational Consulting
20 Hyrcania St., Jerusalem – Tel. 02-6782887 – Fax. 02-6791555 – Email: [email protected]
www.zofnat.co.il
B. Higher Education

Degree: Approximately 59% of the recipients received a scholarship during their studies toward
a Bachelor’s degree. Approximately 26% received a scholarship while studying toward a
Master’s degree, while 13% received a scholarship while studying for a certificate or in a training
program (see Illustration 2). Among all of the Ethiopian students, during the 2014-2015
academic year, the rate of those pursuing a Bachelor’s degree was higher – 89%3.
Illustration 2: Distribution of respondents according to degree



Area of study: Approximately 38% of the respondents studied education/teaching/social work.
Other prominent fields were social sciences (17%) and medicine/nursing (12%, see Illustration
3). In comparison with other Ethiopian students studying in the 2014-2015 academic year, the
organization’s scholarship recipients throughout the years tend to study education and social
work, and less management sciences. Of the Ethiopian students studying in the 2014-2015
academic year, 28% studied social sciences, 18% studied business and management sciences,
and 17% studied education and teacher training4.
Academic institution: The distribution of academic institutions is very broad, with the most
prominent being Bar Ilan University (10%), Ariel University of Samaria and Achva Academic
College (8% each), Haifa University (7%).
Completion of studies/dropout: 86% (173 of 202) completed their studies, compared with 14%
who did not complete their studies. Based on various evaluations, the dropout rate from
3
CBS, Press Release, The Ethiopian Population in Israel – Data Collection in Honor of the Sigd Holiday, November 9,
2015. http://www.cbs.gov.il/reader/newhodaot/hodaa_template.html?hodaa=201511302
4
Ibid.
3
Zofnat Institute of Research and Organizational Consulting
20 Hyrcania St., Jerusalem – Tel. 02-6782887 – Fax. 02-6791555 – Email: [email protected]
www.zofnat.co.il

academic studies in Israel is over 20%. Meaning, the dropout rate among scholarship recipients
is lower.
Year of graduation: Among the 173 respondents who completed their studies, 59% graduated in
2010 or afterward (meaning, during the past six years) and 91% graduated in 2004 or afterward
(meaning, over the past 12 years, see Illustration 4).
Illustration 3: Distribution of respondents according to area of study
Illustration 4: Distribution of respondents according to year of graduation
4
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
Employment while studying: 92% had to work during the course of their studies. Out of these,
57% had to work in positions of 75% employment or more. The percentage of men who worked
in full-time positions is significantly higher than that of the women (50% among the men, in
contrast with 30% among the women).
C. Perceptions of the Scholarship and its Contribution

Number of scholarships: Approximately half of the respondents received a scholarship from
Keren Aynor once, and the other half received a scholarship twice or more. The number of those
who received a scholarship more than once is higher among the older age group (ages 41-50,
see Table 1).
Table 1. Number of Times a Scholarship was Granted, according to Age Group
30 and
under
31-40
41-50
Once
73.7%
62.6%
37.7%
Twice or
more
26.3%
37.4%
62.3%
19
91
77
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Total

Impact of the scholarship: The two questions regarding the contribution of the scholarship used
a 5-level scale ranging between (1) not at all, and (5) very significantly. Approximately 54% of
the respondents answered that the scholarship helped them significantly or very significantly
5
Zofnat Institute of Research and Organizational Consulting
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(combination of levels 4 and 5) in completing their degrees, while 53% answered that the
scholarship helped them significantly or very significantly in succeeding in their studies (see
Illustration 5). The almost completely identical distribution of the responses to these two
questions shows that the respondents did not really differentiate between the two elements,
and viewed them as largely overlapping.
Illustration 5: Distribution of respondents according to the question: to what extent did the
scholarship help you complete your degree (external ring) and succeed at our studies (internal
ring)
However, 51% answered that they would have studied anyway, without the scholarship, and even
completed their studies during the same period of time. 35% other respondents answered that their
studies would have taken them more time or alternatively, that they would not have completed them.
12% answered that they would have given up on studying or deferred their studies a few years (see
Illustration 6).
Illustration 6: Distribution of respondents to the question: ‘What would you have done had you not
received the scholarship?’
6
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
Non-financial assistance: Aside from the financial assistance, approximately 44% answered that
the scholarship helped them in a different way, with the content categories mentioned most
being motivation to succeed and a warm and supportive attitude (see Table 2). Regarding the
“productive human interaction” category, there was a stark difference between the genders –
27% among the women, in contrast with 7% among the men.
Table 2. Common Answers to the question: What did the scholarship contribute, aside from the
financial support?
Motivation
Economic
A warm and supportive attitude
Peace of mind
Productive human interaction /
Added value
Other
Frequency
23
22
20
16
13
Percentage
28.0%
26.8%
24.4%
19.5%
15.9%
14
17.1%
7
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
Means of exposure to the scholarship: Friends and relatives were the most common means of
exposure to the scholarship (62%) among the recipients. At the same time, however, there were
prominent differences based on age group: exposure to the fund via friends and relatives was
especially common among the 41-50 age group, while the frequency of this means decreases as
the age of the scholarship recipient decreases. The frequency of the internet at a source of
knowledge regarding the fund is much greater among the younger recipients (see Table 3).
Table 3. Means of First-Time Exposure to the Fund among Scholarship Recipients
30 and under
31-40
41-50
47.4%
52.7%
75.3%
Via friends/family
47.4%
26.4%
11.7%
Via the internet
Via an academic
0.0%
26.4%
16.9%
institution
5.3%
4.4%
3.9%
Other
19
91
77
Total
100.0%

100.0%
100.0%
Degree of Exposure: Only 7% answered that they preferred to share the fact that they were
receiving a scholarship during their studies with as few people as possible. All of the other
respondents shared with all or some of the people around them that they were receiving a
scholarship (see Illustration 7).
Illustration 7: Extent at which scholarship recipients shared the fact that they were receiving a
scholarship
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D. Employment



Scope of employment: 96% of the respondents are employed today. Out of these, 78% are
employed in full-time positions. According to an analysis of CBS data performed by Brookdale
Institute, the employment rate among people of Ethiopian descent between the ages of 22-65
from 2010-11 was 68% of the men (in comparison with 76% of all Jewish males) and 64% among
the women (in comparison with 74% among all Jewish women)5.
Advancement at the workplace: 88% answered that there had been an improvement in their
salary and/or position at their place of employment over the past five years. 84% expect such an
improvement to occur during the next five years.
Impact of the degree on their careers: Approximately half of the respondents answered that
without their degree, they would not have been accepted for employment at their current
workplace. In contrast, 32% said that they already worked at their current workplace while they
started their academic studies (see Illustration 8).
5
Central indices of the state of people of Ethiopian descent, Brookdale Institute, February 2014.
http://www.iaej.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%93%D7%99%D7%9D%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%9B%D7%96%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A2%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%91%D7%9D-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%90%D7%99%D7%90%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%94.pdf
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Illustration 8: Evaluation of the contribution of the degree to being accepted for a job

Coordination between studies and work: 67% mentioned that there was a high or very high
coordination between the professional track they chose to study and their current occupation,
while 11% answered that there was no coordination. Among those who answered that the
coordination was low, the prominent reason for this was the difficulty in finding employment in
the field that they studied (see Illustration 9). This rate is almost identical to the rate found in a
study conducted by Brookdale Institute – 66%. For comparative purposes, that same study
noted that among all Jewish academics, the rate is similar and slightly higher – 69%6.
Illustration 9: Evaluation of the degree of coordination between academic studies and
employment
6
http://brookdaleheb.jdc.org.il/_Uploads/PublicationsFiles/615-12_Ethiopian_Vatikim_Hebrew_report.pdf
10
Zofnat Institute of Research and Organizational Consulting
20 Hyrcania St., Jerusalem – Tel. 02-6782887 – Fax. 02-6791555 – Email: [email protected]
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
Salary: Approximately 53% of the respondents answered that their salaries were lower than the
market average (9,900 shekels gross per month), while 28% answered that it was higher than
the average (see Illustration 10).
Illustration 10: Salary Level
11
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20 Hyrcania St., Jerusalem – Tel. 02-6782887 – Fax. 02-6791555 – Email: [email protected]
www.zofnat.co.il
12
Zofnat Institute of Research and Organizational Consulting
20 Hyrcania St., Jerusalem – Tel. 02-6782887 – Fax. 02-6791555 – Email: [email protected]
www.zofnat.co.il