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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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'You can make a difference' -- a message of change for children on Earth Day
The fields are alive...
Children around the country are learning about opera, classical music -- and the environment. Yasmine El-Rashidi tunes in
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If one were to walk down the banks of the river in Beni Suef, Sohag, or any small village in between, and ask one of the children playing there who wrote Peter and the Wolf, chances are they would shout in glee: "Prokofiev!"
It is a simple fact: children around the country are learning about the likes of Beethoven and Rimsky-Korsakov. What's more, they are said to be absorbing the great classics like the sand, sun and sea on a hot summer's day.
"Their response is astounding," says Nazih Girgis, founder of the US-Mid-East Music and Fine Arts Council. "They are absolutely loving it." The programme is the brainchild of Girgis, a music lover who founded the council in 1988 when he was living in Washington, DC.
"I found there was a need for a cultural bridge between the United States and the Middle East," he says. "There were hardly any cultural relations, and we all know the stereotype of the Arab world in the US. So I founded the council for the purpose of bringing the National Symphony Orchestra of DC to Egypt -- to promote cultural understanding."
He did much more: taking the orchestra to the Middle East, but also introducing Egyptian performers to Americans, and Egyptian talent to Egyptians themselves.
It began with his 1990 Arabic narration of Peter and the Wolf -- the first of its kind. The world premiere, held at the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, brought famed Egyptian pianist Ramzi Yassa to centre stage.
The performances continued, and in 1995, Girgis's book of Peter and the Wolf -- which includes an introduction by Sergei Prokofiev's younger son, Oleg -- was published, accompanied by an Arabic text.
It was the school syllabus, however, that was really Girgis's target. "Prior to this, 99 per cent of public schools had no music; no teachers or instruments," he says. "But [music] is not something that should be secondary," he stresses. "It's extremely important."
The discovery -- made on a visit to Egypt in 1994 -- came as a shock to Girgis, who stresses the importance of music and art in the social physical and emotional development of a child.
"Sure, you can make a child memorise from the first year of school," he says. "And yes, they will learn and recite. But these are the children who will grow up [with] problems. The first school year of a child should be a cultural learning experience -- it needs to be fun."
It is only then, Girgis explains, that a child will love the system and give back to it.
It is with this in mind -- and of course to familiarise children here with the musical greats -- that Peter and the Wolf, which premiered in Egypt in 1996, was taken to 26 schools.
"The piece has many values," he says. "It teaches children about determination and decision making, about the importance of a love for nature and a kindness to animals. And of course, it tells them about thinking out an activity, believing in it and carrying it through. Not to mention teaching children about the instruments of the symphony."
This introduction is the starting point of workshops that aim to raise children's awareness of elements not included in the traditional syllabus. For instance, they include a section on Prokofiev's personal life -- how music brought him joy, and how it can make children happy too.
The workshops, however, go far beyond music, since they aim to improve children's physical as well as psychological well-being. They stress the importance of personal hygiene as an integral part of a holistic health programme. The children receive toothbrushes and toothpaste as gifts while watching Dr Rabbit -- a cartoon character created in New York who tells children, in his fun, lively, love-me way, about the benefits of cleanliness.
There is only a small step, as Girgis sees it, from self-awareness to awareness of one's surroundings. "Music is an essential element of life," Girgis says. "It's only natural that when these young children are introduced to it they begin to sparkle."
After the immensely positive response to Peter and the Wolf, another piece was introduced in workshops at the 26 targeted schools: Carnival of the Animals. This time, Girgis has created an original story line, designed to raise environmental awareness.
"When I wrote it, I envisioned a group of kids at the Giza Zoo," Girgis explains. "All the animals are out of their cages, cleaning up the zoo, and they're angry because of the trash left by the visitors. So the kids say 'hmm', the animals want to live in a clean environment, let's help them clean up."
Of course, once the zoo is clean, the animals are happy and begin to dance.
"Each animal dances individually," he says. "And as they do, they express some dissatisfaction: the bird at the polluted skies, the fish at the polluted Nile, the donkey at the loud music, and how much better he can hee-haw without it."
As the skies get bluer and the Nile cleaner, spirits rise and life improves.
"The children think, 'the animals are much happier in this clean environment, then we will be too'," Girgis explains with conviction. "And so they begin to clean up and take care of their environment."
Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, known for her awareness of environmental concerns, has expressed support for the programme, as has Environment Minister Nadia Makram Ebeid.
"We're giving our children what every child around the world should have," Girgis says. "And through it, we are teaching them about life."
As the workshops wind down at the end of the day, the children, vibrant with enthusiasm for this new-found passion, take an oath: "I swear by Egypt, its earth, waters and skies, to keep it clean, healthy and beautiful, and to make aware those who may pollute [it] of the gift we've been given."
As the programme gains ground, ripples of success are spreading. This month marks the opening of the first-ever environmentally friendly school, where the workshops are a key element and the musical classics a core subject -- the Mustafa Kamel Preparatory School in Dar Al-Salam.
"It involves interactive learning," Girgis says. "The kind of initiative that says 'you're productive and can make a difference'."
So the children plant trees, clean up, gain awareness, make plans -- and pay a 25-piastre fine if they litter or pollute. The money, needless to say, goes into buying garbage bags and garbage cans. They make a difference, and it makes them happy.
"They are the ones who have done it," Girgis explains, referring to clean-up efforts and tree-planting. "It's theirs, and so they maintain it. There's a whole change in their attitude." Like the animals, they are dancing for joy.
AND NOW THE STORY BEGINS: Early one morning, Peter opened the gate and went out into the big green meadow. The first friend Peter met was a little bird sitting on a branch of a big tree. "All is quiet, all is quiet, all is quiet!" chirped the little bird happily.
Then, the duck who lived in the backyard of Peter's house came waddling around. The duck was glad because Peter forgot to close the gate and decided to enjoy a nice swim in the deep pond.
The bird flew down near the duck and said to her: "What kind of a bird are you if you can't fly?" The duck replied sarcastically: "What kind of bird are you if you can't swim?" and dived into the water. They argued and argued -- the duck swimming in the pond and the bird hopping along the shore.
Suddenly, something else caught Peter's attention -- a cat crawling through the grass. The cat thought to herself: "While the duck and the little bird are busy arguing, I'll grab the bird and eat him." And started to crawl on her velvet paws towards the bird [...]
From Peter and the Wolf, adapted by Nazih Girgis
