May 2009
My adventure began at 5 am on a chilly Philly March morning, as I dragged my suitcase down the stairs of 30th Street Station to board the train to Massachusetts. After spending a weekend with my parents in Northampton, we had planned for my father to drive me and my mother to JFK airport for our direct flight to Cairo, then Sudan. After checking our luggage, which were stuffed with presents, we waited for our flight next to the duty free shopping area.
Nahid with her "seedlings" at Feltonville School of Arts & Sciences.
With tea in hand, my father and I began discussing our tree planting project for Sudan. We had spoken about this project for a while, but it was finally happening! Starting with family and friends, we compiled a list of names, people we would ask to participate in the project. We planned to ask each person to plant one tree and document where/when it was planted in hopes of creating greener neighborhoods, especially in the slums of Sudan. When our plane landed in Sudan the first thing I noticed was how much greener and cleaner the country looked than it had during our last visit, which made me even more excited about spreading the idea of planting a seed.
After settling in, drinking some tea, unpacking and greeting all our neighbors, friends and families, I noticed that my uncle brought a small mango tree as a welcome home gift. We planted it in the back yard and my family became the first group to implement our project.
Whether I find myself planting and tending the seedlings of understanding a culture and language through the arts at Al-Bustan or spreading the seed of human rights through activism, I do this work again and again. This project mirrors so much of what I feel my life work is about–planting a seed is such an integral part of my work and life. The importance of giving something as small as a seed and watching it grow has become amplified into one image, a tree, which represents all parts of life.
Now, four weeks later, I am back in Philly, and I am so excited to spread the seed of Sudanese folk dance to high school students at Leeds Military Academy. It will be a joy to see how these trees grow with what I can give them.
May 21st, here we come!
- Nahid Elgadi, Drama/Dance Teacher
