Partnership 2Gether Beit Shemesh-Mateh Yehuda together with MATI Kiryat Gat has successfully run two courses in 2011 for wellness (holistic) practitioners. Approximately 35 women from the region have participated in a specially designed program which emphasizes cooperation between businesses as well as teaching basic business skills. The second part of the course is focused on building a Forum with the businesswomen..

The first meeting of the Wellness Forum (the second half of the "course") was held on November 9th at Matnas Meirhoff in Beit Shemesh. It was attended by members of the International Steering Committee of the Partnership. The members who came from Washington, South Africa and Israel, met with the women to hear about their businesses and what they have received from the business course so far in 2011.

The forum will be meeting for the next six months in order to develop joint initiatives and to further advance their businesses. The first events organized by the Forum will be held in conjunction with the upcoming Rural Food Festival in Mateh Yehuda in February. We will keep you posted of details in next month's newsletter.