In 1996 the volunteers of the Gidon Association, realizing that they needed to actively help their community integrate into Israeli society, began a project of “After School Homework Help” to help the children of Hadera’s Ethioipian community succeed in school.

They adopted the slogan “Ethiopian immigrants working for Ethiopian immigrants” because they believed that this was the best way to help their fellow community members advance.

During its early days, the program operated out of a derelict bomb shelter, but the strength of its volunteers and its ongoing successes have resulted in today's MAKSAM network of four After School Study Centers located in low-income neighborhoods in Hadera populated by a high concentration of Ethiopian immigrants.

MAKSAM's core activities are the After-School Study and Enrichment Program and the Summer Schedule.

The MAKSAM centers provide an environment where the local community can develop in ways that it feels are appropriate.