Students of the Open University of Beer Sheva campus joined the Hackathon on Feb 13^th and spent their day with the task of proposing solutions to acute problems in the border region around the Gaza Strip. The hackathon focused on three areas in the sphere of aid and disaster scenarios: First Response, Mental Health and Business Models. The students were mentored throughout the day by professionals throughout to create their pitch as well as their project idea. Just after several rounds of pitches in front of a jury, the final five teams presented their ideas in front of everyone. 

The winning team developed an electronic sleeve to assist in the first assistance with victims in a rescue situation. The sleeve functions as a fast-working CRM system to take in data of the patient. State Secretary Dr. Mark Speich handed the prize of a scholarship to the winning team. 

Thanks to the Open University Beer Sheva Campus and Tech 7, who created and hosted the event in cooperation with JADDE and the City of Bochum, Germany as part of the NRW state program "Shalom - Chaveruth - Solidarity Partnerships North Rhine-Westphalia - Israel" (hebr. peace and friendship”). 

Another hackathon will be held in the end of March, which will focus on developing solutions to another sort of aid and disaster scenarios: Floods - which have in the past affected communities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Israel alike.