A passionate soul
"The boy in the rain", Mohammed Tantawi bids farewell to his mentor Dina Amin
I first met Dina on a cold, rainy night in New York City when she was on a business trip at Sesame Workshop. I had decided to move back to Egypt and a friend of mine said, "You must work for Alkarma Edutainment and you're in luck. Dina Amin and Amr Koura are here and you must meet them." And what a meeting that was. I was blown away by the energy, charisma, and boisterous personality that I saw in Dina. She was funny, outgoing, friendly, loud, and overall a very loving person.
I knew right away that I was in the presence of a powerhouse, someone who is so deeply passionate about everything that she believes in and talks about, something that I would later discover to be one of the pillars of who this amazing person truly was. Dina's magic started working its charm on you from the moment that you met her. Her sense of humour and intelligence made you want to get to know her more and spend as much time with her as possible, soaking in her wit and learning from her endless experiences in life and in work. She had this kind of positive energy that was so contagious to those around her, making them truly believe in the beauty of the world and the possibilities for making it even better.
She was, plainly said, the epitome of "good people".
We talked the night away, debated, told stories, laughed a lot, and had lots to eat, and as the night drew to a close, we walked out in the rain and I bid them farewell. That moment was to remain with us forever, for she would always refer to it and say, "Where is 'The Boy in the Rain'?" when she felt like I was becoming too "corporate" for her liking.
Dina encompassed the perfect balance of a true professional and an active and involved member of her family, both immediate and extended. She had dreams of media programmes that reflect, educate, entertain and make a difference to the children and youth of Egypt. As the heart and soul, the driving force, and officially the "project director" of Alam Simsim, Dina was able to live her dream of making a true difference in the lives of thousands of Egyptian families, empowering girls, teaching children about letters and numbers, making them proud of their country, and giving them a real chance of being prepared for school, to name but a few goals that she was able to realise.
With these big dreams came a serious commitment to her work, with long hours and efforts exerted to make them a reality. However, this was never to the detriment of her home and children. She was a dedicated wife and mother of two beautiful children, with so much love and affection to give her family and all those who surrounded her.
As a mentor, Dina's belief in me was enough of an initiative to excel at my work because I wanted her to be proud of my achievements and reassure that she had put her trust and faith in the right place, something that she did with so many people, and which helped empower them and make them grow, both personally and professionally. When she trusted you, she did so wholeheartedly, and you would never want to let her down. A true leader, with skills that just came to her naturally, she led by example and had many who followed.
When I think that I won't be seeing Dina every morning as I'm used to in our office, with her loud hellos and affectionate greetings to all, the many meetings and different studio shoots, or just lounging in her office talking about anything and everything, I think of an old song that touches on how she will be with me, with everyone who's life she touched, until we can all meet again:
And I know you're shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
And I know eventually we'll be together
One sweet day
The "Boy in the Rain" will remember you fondly and hold you close to his heart as we all make it our mission to complete your work and carry on your legacy.
God bless you Dina, my mentor, my friend, and may you rest in peace and watch over us as we work towards making your projects, your dreams a reality.
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