Entertaining Dialogues

Bullying, violence among children, gender-based violence, women empowerment and youth leadership skills were among the focal issues to the initiatives selected for the Dialogical Edutainment Academy 2021 program.

By Amany Fayed & Rana Gaber

For the third year, the Dialogical Edutainment Academy opened the doors and this time to eight initiatives, selected among approximately 50 applications from different governorates of Egypt. From the very beginning the main objective of the academy has been to support these newly emerging entities in different ways; including a set of training programs guided by innovative methodologies that help them develop their performance thus being more sustainable.

Learning by doing

 This year, the Academy offered two different sets of training; one that was directed to the management and sustainability of the initiatives, and another on innovative methodologies within the field of edutainment. For the first set of training, the initiatives were trained on the theory of changes, fundraising, and marketing. For the second set of training, the initiatives were trained on gamification, art, and dialogue. All the training follows a highly interactive and engaging methodology where the initiatives learn by doing.

Widely spread network

While seeking to meet the needs of each of the enrolled initiatives, the Academy also aims at further developing a wide network of actors in the field of civic edutainment. The network includes the initiatives from the former cohorts in addition to the trainers and mentors who volunteer their time and effort to support the initiatives. The network works on creating a safe space and offering an opportunity for the initiatives to exchange experience, network, and help each other.

Meet the 2021 Initiatives

Sabia, from Ismailia, works on the rights of women and children in addition to promoting gender equality. They are raising awareness through social events and online campaigns on issues like FGM, sexual harassment and child marriage. On the other hand, Sabia pays attention to providing beneficiaries with legal and health support.

Donuts, in Monofeya and Cairo, works with teenagers on awareness against bullying and prevention, seeking a safer future for the young ones. They implement dialogical workshops to help adolescents discover themselves and accept the other to have a community that respects everyone’s rights. By joining the Edutainment Academy, Donuts aspire to integrate innovative methodologies to enhance their workshops with engaging activities in order to maintain teens’ interest.

Ana Masreya Asseeka, works at different governorates from Cairo to Aswan and aim at providing youth with leadership skills and developing the values of responsibility, sense of belonging and peaceful coexistence through entertaining activities such as performing arts, storytelling, clay modelling, drawing and handicrafts.

Almosharka Almogtama3eya Project, this project is under the umbrella of IDAM, it works in Minya villages. Its main goal is to build a generation of engaged youth living in a community that boosts equality, peace and social justice. They invite youth participants to camps where they find a safe educational space to live a different experience, meet new friends and exchange knowledge which develops their values and skills hence being active members in their communities.

 Dedosia Dialogue Club, in Gharbeya. It is the first dialogue club in the Delta working on integrating dialogue methodology and its tools in the cultural field to reach a community where youth can exchange thoughts peacefully. Dedosia doesn’t introduce the dialogue culture inside the club only but they collaborate with student activities and civil organizations as well.

Bonyan Salam, previously known as agdadna amgadna, in Luxor. They started working because they observed increasing violent behaviour among children and adolescents as a reflection of violence in media and drama. Their aim is to prevent that phenomenon by introducing historical figures who were inviting to peace and accepting the other to be the children’s role models.

Madaar co-working & art space is a space for supporting Helwan student activities, startups, freelancers and local community with training and art activities in Wadi Hof. On the other hand, Madaar provides their visitors with various physical spaces where they can carry out their own activities in a calm, clean and green environment.

Ala Rai Al Mathal seek to prevent all types of violence against women especially domestic violence through refuting the inherited proverbs and quotes which somehow promote violence. Ala Rai Al Mathal implements dialogical workshops to clarify and redefine the common misconceptions about women issues.

Watch this video to meet all the initiatives

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Youth Driving Change