In a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the beloved Swedish children’s book Pippi Longstocking, the Embassy of Sweden in Cairo organised a day of intercultural activities at the Abnaa ElGhad Foundation, “Banati,” in the satellite Cairo town of 6 October in cooperation with Awtar Quartet and Safarni. The event featured a variety of literary and musical activities which aimed to raise awareness of the importance of reading and cultural exchange for children’s social and educational development.
With the support of Swedish-Egyptian volunteers, the children experienced Swedish culture by learning some Swedish words, decorating gingersnaps and participating in a variety of activities that included Swedish dance, music and games. To stimulate critical thinking, the children were then encouraged to think of creative solutions to better integrate the diverse communities in Sweden. These interactive activities were organised by Safarni, an initiative that creates intercultural workshops for kids.
The day ended with an intercultural fusion of storytelling and music prepared by Khaled Saleh and performed by the Egyptian classical music group the Awtar Quartet, which combined classical tunes with an animated Arabic reading by Sherok al-Sherif of one of Pippi Longstocking’s stories. The story by Sweden’s Astrid Lindgren has encouraged countless girls and boys around the world to believe in themselves and has become a role model in gender equality.
“Cultural exchange through stories and music is not only entertaining, but equally important, it fosters children’s curiosity and open mindedness. It also plants the seeds for creativity, innovation and critical thinking,” said Swedish Ambassador to Egypt, Charlotta Sparre.
Abnaa ElGhad Foundation “Banati” was established in 2010 to promote and protect the lives of children at risk, children in street situation and children deprived of parental care.
Watani International
27 December 2015