Some ventures are born from a slide deck; some are born from longing. Bishvila belongs to the second kind. Lia Ben Shach, an 18-year-old from Moshav Kidron, founded it in memory of her grandmother Yehudit, who passed away from ALS in 2019.
The idea is simple to state and hard to do: letting people with disabilities hike trails that are not accessible. With special all-terrain chairs and a volunteer team accompanying every hike, Bishvila reaches places a regular wheelchair cannot.
What happens out there? Two things at once. The hikers experience nature and gain a sense of capability, and the volunteers discover how close an equal society can be when you literally walk it together.
The venture is open to anyone who needs these chairs to hike, and to anyone who wants to volunteer and take part. That is its beauty: it asks no one to stay on the sidelines.
Want to get to know the venture or join a hike? You can reach out through the venture's page on this site.