UNFPA, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Etijah concluded on November 20 a series of theatre performances by young volunteers on population issues, in partnership with Zad Art Team as part of the 6th edition of the annual Community Art Festival, Nawah for Change.
The closing event was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, UNFPA Representative in Egypt, Frederika Meijer and Ms. Manal Gamal, the head of the Youth Empowerment Unit at the Ministry of youth
The young volunteers, form the Nawah Theatre Team, are part of the Population Awareness Clubs, which operate in youth centers around Egypt, acting as hubs for raising awareness on population issues, including reproductive health issues. The volunteers employ interactive and innovative methods such as music and theatre to communicate messages to the communities.
The theatre performances aim to amplify the role that community theater plays in development and the effect of arts on behavioral change. It also allows young people to contribute to confronting challenges faced by their communities by employing creative means including theatre and music.
The festival is supported by the European Union (EU), the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Norwegian Embassy, the Canadian Embassy, and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The theatre performances come under the theme of “Youth Volunteerism,” to empower young people to reach their full potential as well as acts of agents of change in their communities.
“The Population Awareness Clubs in youth centers play a major role in raising awareness around community issues and is a platform for the political leadership to intervene to achieve the desired goals,” Dr. Sobhy said, thanking the Egyptian youth for their investment in raising awareness around these topics.
“UNFPA works together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Etijah along with other partners to provide the resources and opportunities required for all adolescents and youth to thrive and reach their full potential as skilled, creative and resilient people,” Meijer said.
UNFPA has been employing entertainment education in youth centers since 2017 to raise awareness among community members, in particular youth, on population issues. We believe in the power of art as a strong tool to attract not only youth volunteers but also community members in general. It encourages youth active participation. It has also proved to be a practical and efficient method to communicate sensitive messages and establish a dialogue with communities. The edutainment program is being implemented through capacitating youth to develop artistic products to be presented to the public in different governorates. The Edutainment tools include interactive theater, music and film making.
