Luca Conti, from Argentina, asks a question during an Egypt-themed class at the Shekou Summer Camp yesterday morning. Courtesy of Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats
Mahmoud Ahmed, a teacher from Egypt, led a group of local and expat children on a captivating cultural exploration through Egypt's long history yesterday morning during the first session of the Shekou Summer Camp.
The camp, which is free of charge, is hosted by the Shekou Subdistrict Office and co-organized by the Shenzhen Nanshan Southwind Social Work Service Center and the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (MSCE). The four-day Phase I event features a series of eight cultural sessions held at the Shekou Subdistrict Service Center.
The Egyptian class began with two warm-up games that filled the room with joyous laughter. Ahmed showed the children a gold coin that piqued their curiosity, leaving them eager to unravel the mysteries hidden within. A dish of Egyptian-style scrambled eggs made by Ahmed wrapped up the delightful cultural journey.
Ella Bai Carstens, from Mexico, said, "I was very happy to participate in this camp. It was really fun!" Carstens and her peers took part in a Chinese cultural experience in the afternoon when Guo Meng, a Chinese teacher, guided them in crafting Chinese wrapping flowers, an intangible cultural heritage.
Tian Wanjia, from China, said, "This was my first time attending a summer camp. I met so many friends from different countries, and I'm going to give my mom the wrapping flower I made as a surprise. It was so much fun!"
Eledir Busanello, a member of the Shekou International Volunteer Team from Brazil, provided the children with support and assisted the teachers throughout the day.
Upcoming events in Phase I of the summer camp will feature cultural explorations of Cuba, Mexico, and France. Chinese-themed events will focus on painting Monkey King masks in the Beijing Opera style and learning Nunchaku techniques. An outdoor activity is scheduled for Thursday morning.
Phase II of the camp, also four days long, is set to commence July 22, and a limited number of vacancies are still available. Local and expat children between 6 and 12 years old are welcome to participate on a first-come, first-served basis.