Hafez teaching the campers to an Arabic song “Fil-Bustan”!
The first day of Al-Bustan Camp began with nervous goodbyes and hugs to parents as the campers were dropped off. By the end of the day, however, all the campers had made many new friends and showed confidence in the various activities. Content-wise, the campers have six classes throughout the day: Arabic with Brahim El Guabli, art and science with Lisa Volta, percussion and singing with Hafez Kotain. In science, the students learned about the healing power of marigold. In art, they explored the garden and collected different plants for making natural paintbrushes. Mr. Hafez led the children through the basics of hand percussion and they learned several classic Arab rhythms. For me, the best part of the day was watching the campers who did not speak a word of Arabic before today courageously sing along to Mr. Hafez’s song, في البستان, or “In the Garden” by the afternoon. I am looking forward to tomorrow and seeing what the campers do next!
Elizabeth Berthy, Al-Bustan Summer Intern
