An Ashkelon nursery providing reduced-rate childcare for Ethiopian-Israeli children has been able to replace its dilapidated minibus through a £35,000-plus donation from the My Israel charity.

My Israel founder Danni Franks had identified the Garden of Hope Nursery as an urgent cause and raised the money through private contributions, events including a five-day trek and a legacy from a refugee from Nazi Germany.

The minibus was delivered to Eliyahu Yosseka, who started the project with his wife, Aviva, and drives the children to the nursery every day.

Its existence is essential in encouraging working parents — particularly in the light of recent figures suggesting that 62 per cent of Ethiopian families in Israel have no income from employment.

Ms Franks saw the nursery as “a stepping stone for mothers to become independent, which in turn will have a positive effect on the wider Ashkelon community”.