In progress:
Forms of expression
By
Gamal Nkrumah
Amadou
photo: Colette Kinsella
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Amadou, alias Ahmed Abdel-Hamid, is a Cairo-based Sudanese artist currently working with Sudanese refugee children under the auspices of the Sudanese Development Initiative Abroad (SUDIA), a non-governmental organisation that assists refugees, displaced people and vulnerable groups from Sudan and other Horn of Africa countries. Amadou -- an Africanised rendition of the Arabic name Ahmed -- came to Egypt 12 years ago when he was 15. He enrolled at the Japanese Cultural Study Centre, in the Cairo district of Kobri Al-Qubbah, to study Soumi-é -- a form of Japanese painting with natural ink
The children paint imaginary scenes of the countries they hope to be moving to -- Australia, Canada or the United States. The idea that they are moving to a new country is exciting for these refugee children. They are told by their parents that they are about to go to a certain country and the children ask all sorts of questions about that country. They want to know everything about the new country. They paint what they hear, scenes from the films they watch, from postcards.
We are teachers but we are also refugees. We know what the refugee children want. We, as refugees ourselves, have a better understanding of the challenges these kids face. We understand their frustrations, we sympathise with them because we share their aspirations.
The children's involvement in the workshops gives them a sense of belonging. We guide them and provide the chance for them to learn something new. We, the teachers, also learn something from the kids.
The children love masks. They love to paint masks as they are easier to master than portraits. We use different mediums, any readily available material. The kids are creative.
This is the first time I have worked with refugee children though I have worked with children before. I participated in a project aimed at combatting child labour. It was a human rights issue, and it was based on the premise that children should not be forced to work and be exploited by unscrupulous employers.
The children whose labour was exploited were encouraged to relate their experiences through painting and drawing. Some of their experiences were so painful that they could not openly talk about them. Instead, they painted their experiences, depicting their employers and fellow child labourers. The children responded very positively. They expressed themselves not verbally but through their art.
The two projects are very different in scope and objective. The child labour project was analytical, rather academic. It was essentially a study of the physical and psychological impact of work on child labourers.
The current project with refugee children is more experimental. It is very exciting to work with the children. They suffer unique social conditions. Their education is interrupted. Some of the refugee children have not been to school for a long time. Some cannot even remember what it is like to go to school. Others have lost family and friends and most suffer from psychological problems.
The Cairo-based Sudanese artist Hassan Ali put forward my name and I went to SUDIA's offices to get an idea of their aims and objectives. I was very impressed with their activities and I joined the group right away. I was eager to meet the children and I was very pleasantly surprised. I learned a great deal from the children, not least how to be childlike. I admire the spontaneity and frankness of the children. They have a natural exuberance, a natural enthusiasm for life and art, dance and drama. Children are receptive to new ideas. In spite of the terrible experiences they have undergone because of war they have a positive outlook. They need all our loving support.
Some of the refugee children displayed great talent. One, Yousra, displayed such enthusiasm in drama classes that she was asked to perform in an advert on television. She was thrilled, her parents were overjoyed and she earned some money.
We are working very hard at the moment with the children. We are rehearsing the plays and dances that will be performed at the end of the refugee children summer school run by SUDIA. And we have brainstorming sessions on costumes and stage decor. The children love to be involved in the decision-making process. They feel empowered.
The big day is 9 August at El-Sawy Cultural Centre. The children are to perform the plays and dances they rehearsed during the workshop. I suggested that they choose the stage decor themselves. They chose the colours and the patterns for the costumes they are going to wear. We encourage them to be creative and they respond enthusiastically. The children design their own clothes and come up with different and interesting ideas by drawing sketches. Along with other art teachers at the refugee children summer school I will be participating in the implementation of the children's ideas. We all work together and exchange notes and ideas.
Sometimes I tell the children that it is impossible to implement an idea. I explain why it would be difficult to do so. I explain the technical difficulties. They understand and accept my explanations and they learn something new in the process.
I am going to be very sad when this is all over. I shall miss the kids. I really got to know them and they have come to mean a great deal to me. I look forward to working again with refugee children in the near future. We are trying to get a grant from a funding source so that the children can continue with their schooling and art throughout the year. Many of the refugee children do not go to school. The summer school has been an opportunity to meet with other kids and learn about the culture, geography and history of Sudan. This is their only chance for some form of educational experience. It has been a unique encounter for me, and I hope it will continue to grow. I have hope in the project's success. Last year there were only 25 refugee children who participated in the summer school. This year we have 150 children. That's progress.
