Hej from Alham, I am from Jordan. I am having wonderful time with a good company. It is a really amazing experience. At first I felt a little out of place in this different environment, but the experience soon turned into a pleasant adventure.
Hej from A’laa! I am from a border city in Egypt and currently I am in Sweden. This is one of the biggest opportunity in my life. From the first moment I arrived alone from Egypt, to the moment I was able to live with an animal, to the moment I learned carpentry and wood cutting and made my first project, everything seems so unique!
A’laa Aroog
Please click here for detailed information about the project.
19 Nov 2023
Ludosport at Tryckeriet
Team Building Activities
Project Prototyping Lesson
20 Nov 2023
Guided Tour at Dunkers Culture House
Workshop at Spektra
Sightseeing in Helsingborg
Introduction of Individual Projects & Board Game Night
21 November 2023
Developing Individual Projects
Kickboard at Jutan
PechaKucha at MindPark
23 November 2023
Presentation of the project at the Helsingborg “Human Rights Days” as part of the project funded by the Swedish Institute
24 November 2023
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony & Networking Activity
25 November 2023
Filmmaking workshop at Helsingborg Arena
Creative Writing & Filmmaking at Tryckeriet
Film Screening at Tryckeriet
Preparation
The preparation phase fort his project included team meetings, zoom meetings, designing posters, designing See the Girl merch, organizing events with the local facilities, and promoting Midnight Soul Film Festival in Helsingborg.
18.11.2023
The Winners of the See the Girl Film Festival arrived to Copenhagen airport. Tania went to pick up their luggage from the airport so the winners team could spend a day sightseeing in Copenhagen. The winners team arrived to Helsingborg by ferry at night. Both the winners of the festival and the ProQvi team talked about their journey to Sweden as this was everyone’s first trip outside Ethiopia. During the time at Project Pocket both the winners and the ProQvi team went over the weekly program. After the planning, the winners of the festival went to their hostel nearby the Project Pocket to rest.
19.11.2023
After breakfast, ProQvi team introduced a local person who arranged activities with college girls in Ethiopia and who helped with the preparations of See the Girl Film Festival. They did networking and team building activities. They went to Tryckeriet to meet with the Ludosport Club and got a short training from the club members. Before the end of the day the winners gathered at the Project Pocket to locate the venues they visited in Helsingborg city map as a team building activity. After that they introduced to the project prototyping lesson to create their own projects during the study visit.
20.11.2023
At the start of the day the winners team did networking and team building activities. Following in the day they attended the guided tour at Dunkers Culture House and they participated in the art workshop at Spektra. At the end of the workshop the winners team had a chance to do sightseeing in Helsingborg city. The day ended with working on individual projects and playing board games at the hostel.
21.11.2023
The winners team continued to develop their individual projects. Since the ProQvi team planned to attend a Pecha Kucha event at Mindpark they practiced public speaking and prepared their presentations. The team went to Jutan to try kickboard sport and they went to Mindpark to do their presentations at Mindpark.
23 & 25.11.2023
The winners team participated and presented See the Girl Film Festival in the Human Rights Days Helsingborg. They introduced ProQvi and Project Pocket to the people who attended the fair. The project winners had the chance to meet with other NGO’s and human rights advocators in Sweden.
24.11.2023
The winners team continued to develope their individual projects. Later in the day they attended project prototyping sessions and they organized the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. Different NGO’s which attended Helsingborg Human Rights Days were invited to the Coffee Ceremony. Traditional Ethiopian dances were taught and participants were served Ethiopian coffee.
25 & 26.11.2023
The winners attended the filmmaking workshop at Helsingborg Arena. Since the Midnight Soul Festival started creative writing and filmmaking workshops were held. Participants attended the Midnight Soul Film Festival film screening at Tryckeriet. At the second day of the Midnight Soul Festival See the Girl Film critics were done and the winners implemented their individual projects.
I am very thrilled to be among the winners of “See the Girl” film festival by being the writer and director of one of the winning short films and get an opportunity for cultural study visit to Sweden.
It has been a great eye opener and I have learned a lot during my stay. On my way I have been able to visit Denmark (Copenhagen and Helsingor specifically) and was also able to visit Stockholm and Helsingborg in Sweden.
During my stay I have participated in a Human Rights Forum twice (I gave a brief introduction about our project with ProQvi team and other team members), presented in the PechaKucha presentation, visited different museums and art galleries In Helsingborg Sweden, presented my culture in our cultural coffee ceremony and met amazing people and even amazing friends.
Above all thanks to all mighty God and I am thank ful to the whole ProQvi team for giving me such an opportunity.
Meti Gebisa’s Linkedin Post
Meti Gebisa
Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee?
Our time exploring the coffee culture in “See the Girl” Film Festival in Ethiopia was amazing, and now we’re bringing that experience to Sweden.
Join us for a special event where you can chat with guests from Ethiopia. We’ll be talking about the cultural importance of coffee in Ethiopia, all while enjoying a cup together. Don’t miss out on this unique and cozy get-together – we can’t wait to share it with you!
Please fill in the form on the link to participate.
Proqvi held its additional annual meeting, where important issues were discussed and decisions were taken. Please stay tuned to our website for new announcements.
Greetings from a Time Traveler,
The memory of the expression on my mother’s face when I shared my decision to travel to Ethiopia is still vivid in my mind. It wasn’t just her reaction that struck me, but also the reactions of everyone I confided in about my upcoming journey. I’m sure they all had a burning question in their thoughts: “How did you end up in a situation where you had to go to Ethiopia?”
What I can say is that this adventure had its roots long before I set foot in Ethiopia.
It all began while I was working on a short informational video for ProQvi’s Uganda project. The project’s mission intrigued me to such an extent that I started yearning for a similar experience myself. When Tania introduced me to the opportunity in Ethiopia, my mind immediately drew parallels to my previous volunteer work in the aftermath of the Turkey-Syria earthquake. I realized that getting involved in this project had the potential to teach me about my own limits and enable me to discover uncharted facets of myself in entirely new environments and challenging conditions.
Following extensive project planning and trip preparations, our journey to Ethiopia began. Despite having read extensively about Ethiopia in advance, this voyage marked my first-ever visit to Africa, casting me into the realm of the unknown.
Upon our arrival at Addis Ababa airport after a lengthy flight, I couldn’t help but notice the vibrant posters and decorations celebrating the Ethiopian New Year “2016.” In that moment, I couldn’t help but think about myself as Time Traveler, the enigmatic protagonist of H.G. Wells’ “The Time Machine,” a book I had read.
It was nearly dawn when we left the airport. A gentle breeze carried a sweet scent, while the first rays of the sun eagerly awaited their emergence from behind the cloud cover. The birds sang more jubilantly than I had ever heard before. In those initial moments, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had entered a realm entirely distinct from all my prior life experiences. We continued to relish this serene atmosphere while waiting for our shuttle, surrounded by bustling crowds eagerly anticipating their own shuttles or drivers, and for a moment, it felt as if we had stepped into another world altogether.
As the sun gradually ascended in the sky, our exploration of the city commenced. Despite the early hour, the streets teemed with people, and the city’s lights shone even more brightly than the day itself. It was as though the city was a masterpiece of collective art, where every detail stood alone, unique, and yet somehow harmoniously out of place with one another.
As we drove into the city, the sun’s soft emergence marked the beginning of our day’s adventure. Remarkably, even in the early hours, the streets were bustling with people, and the city’s lights outshone the natural daylight. It was as though the city itself were a living masterpiece, where no detail adhered to a specific pattern or harmonized with another.
In the evening, we ventured from our hotel to dine at a traditional restaurant. The dining room’s ceiling was adorned with paintings that narrated the story of Queen of Sheba, creating an enchanting ambiance. Seated at a neighboring table, we encountered a family of young women and their mother. As our conversation unfolded, a deep connection formed between us. Through our interaction with these women, I gained my initial insights into the life of Ethiopian women. Their responsibilities and choices, from a young age, operated on a vastly different scale compared to the women I had encountered in my previous experiences, including myself. To them, these aspects were an inherent and accepted part of life’s journey.
Following our dinner, we ventured together to a performance hall to witness a mesmerizing dance and music show. This experience left me contemplating the vivid and expressive nature of Ethiopian art, mirroring the colorful and vibrant spirit of the culture.
September 17
It was my inaugural experience of savoring a breakfast infused with a tantalizing blend of spiciness, alongside the refreshing sweetness of watermelon and a soothing cup of tea. If I were ever tasked with encapsulating my journey in Ethiopia using just one of my senses, I would unquestionably opt for the sense of taste.
Later in the day, following our breakfast, we had a meeting with the local organization ELİDA to strategize for the kick off event of the “See the Girl” film festival. The question loomed large: What could captivate people’s attention and unite them for this event? The answer? Tango!
I had always been fascinated by the way Tania conveyed powerful messages through tango. What left me even more astonished this time was that the idea to incorporate tango came from my own imagination. It’s fascinating how spending time with someone can influence your way of thinking and inspire creative ideas to emerge.
Following the meeting, we departed from the hotel and made our way to the monastery of the Franciscan Sisters Missionaries of Christ, where we were to be accommodated for the duration of the project. As we arrived at the monastery, we were welcomed by a grand entrance gate that concealed a garden resembling a piece of paradise. Stepping into this garden felt akin to discovering a small oasis within the desert, offering respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
As we waited to meet the nuns, they graciously offered us papaya. It was a peculiarly fragrant and incredibly delicious fruit, unlike any I had ever tasted before. Ah, papaya!
One of the highlights of my stay at the monastery was undoubtedly mealtime. The dishes prepared within those sacred walls were some of the most delectable vegetarian offerings I’ve ever had the pleasure of savoring. What made the experience even more special was the shared meals and conversations among the nuns. It truly felt as though we were being embraced and welcomed as honored “guests of God” within the monastery.
For detailed information about the project please click here.
18.09.2023
Meeting with Local NGO ELIDA to Organize the Film Festival Promotional Event
Meeting the Sisters of Franciscan Sisters Missionaries of Christ
Girls’ Talent School First Day
19.09.2023
Visiting Local Partner & Planning On Project Activities
Girls’ Talent School Second Day
20.09.2023
Experience Exchange with Teachers
Meeting with Local Artizans
Girls’ Talent School Final Day
21.09.2023
Local Storytelling: Mount Entoto
Project Kick Off & Tango Night
22.09.2023
Creative Workshop
Filmmaking Experiment
23.09.2023
Meeting With a Local Journalist
24.09.2023
Creative Workshops
Screening of the Contestant Films
25.09.2023
Creative Activites With Visually Impaired Locals
Theater Workshop With Local Artists
26.09.2023
Creative Workshops With University Students
Round Table Discussion on Women’s Issues in Addis Ababa
27.09.2023
Creative Workshops With University Students
28.09.2023
National Holiday
29.09.2023
Creative Activities – Hiking at Mount Entoto
30.09.2023
Closure Ceremony
Thank you for your interest in “See the Girl” Film Festival in Ethiopia. For more information about the continuation of “See the Girl” Film Festival in Sweden, please click here.
For detailed information about the project please click here.
Preparation
The preparation phase for this project included team meetings, online workshops, zoom meetings, preparing the film upload platform, designing posters, and researching local organizations for different events in Ethiopia.
Tania and Eve organized online workshops with partner organization DANFE. Marta and Tania continued their planning with the team in Sweden. Irem continued with the design part of the project and planning with the local NGO ELIDA, which was tasked with organizing the kickoff event of the film festival in Ethiopia. Catarina was in charge of the online film platform of the Swedish film festival Midnight Soul and oversaw the uploading of the films until the deadline.
ETHIOPIA
17.09.2023
The ProQvi team arrived in Ethiopia and left Addis Ababa airport at sunrise. When the team arrived at the hotel after the long journey, they went over the weekly program of the film festival. After resting until breakfast, ProQvi team went over the planning with the local partner organization DANFE/EBFDA, which will organize the Creative Workshops within the scope of the See the Girl Film Festival. After the planning, ProQvi team went to a traditional restaurant for dinner in city center. At the restaurant, the team met an Ethiopian family and listened to their story of being a woman in Ethiopia from their perspective. This conversation helped them to gain a different perspective for the trainings they will be conducting for young women later in the week.
18.09.2023
After breakfast, the team met and discussed with the local NGO ELİDA which is the organization that will plan the kickoff event of the See the Girl film festival. After leaving the hotel, the team went to the convent of the Franciscan Sisters Missionaries of Christ who will be hosting the team during their stay in Ethiopia. The team discussed about the plans and budget of the “Girls’ Talent School” activities that ProQvi will be organizing with the sisters. After the meeting, the team went to meet with Girls’ talent school students at a local kindergarten. 24 people participated in the Girls’ Talent School in total. On the first day of the activity, the team organized activities for the participants to get to know each other and to talk about what storytelling is.
19.09.2023
After breakfast, ProQvi team visited the office of the local partner organization DANFE/EBFDA and continued the planning of the Creative Workshops activities. During this visit, the team had the experience of learning first-hand the principles and ways of working of NGOs in Ethiopia. After leaving DANFE office, the activities continued on the second day of the Girls’ Talent School. As on the first day, 24 participants took part in the second day’s activities.
20.09.2023
During school hours, the ProQvi team visited the kindergarten where they organized Girls’ Talent School. The team exchanged experiences with local teachers and played educational and fun games with the children. After the kindergarten was. closed, the team met with local women artisans to explore Ethiopian handicrafts and hear their stories. On the last day of the Girls’ Talent School, the team completed the storytelling training and encouraged participants to put what they had learned into practice by dividing them into groups to work on their own projects. On the last day of the Girls’ Talent School, the team concluded the event with a traditional celebration.
21.09.2023
To continue listening to the stories of local women, the ProQvi team went to Mount Entoto to meet the women who collect firewood every day. They recorded these moments as they listened to the women’s stories. This experience gave them a deeper understanding of the responsibilities of being a woman in Ethiopia, as the team learned about the women’s family dynamics and how they are affected by the country’s economic situation. After their Mount Entoto interview, they set off for the kickoff event of the film festival and tango night organized by ELİDA. After introducing the activities done in Ethiopia, they talked about the film competition. Following the introduction, they talked about gender balances through tango and movements. After the tango night, participants were given time to meet each other. During this time, the team talked to the female participants and asked questions about different women’s experiences in Ethiopia.
22.09.2023
It was the first day of the Creative Workshop trainings we organized with our local project partner DANFE/EBFDA. We met the new participants and introduced them to the film festival. As in Girls’ Talent School, we organized workshops and activities on how to tell a story. After the end of the Creative Workshop, we met and practiced filmmaking with the Girls’ Talent School participants who wanted to participate in the film competition. The team helped the girls to shoot and edit their first short film and individual contestant films.
23.09.2023
As the team continued the storytelling training on the second day of the Creative Workshop, each of the experienced participant girls from Girs’ Talent School shared their experiences and knowledge about what they had learned about storytelling with the new participants. Afterwards, groups were formed among the participants, and each was given the task of designing a storyboard. The groups which designed their storyboards presented their boards to the other groups. This experience increased sharing among women and taught young girls that there is no age limit to become a trainer. At the end of the Creative workshop day, the team met with a local journalist and made a presentation about the See the Girl film festival. The team also talked to the journalist about the experiences of the women they heard in Ethiopia and about gender equality.
24.09.2023
On the last day of the creative workshop, participants were divided into groups to apply what they had learned in the storytelling training. Within each separate group, they presented their final projects to collectively collect and tell their individual stories. After the participants completed their final projects, they attended a preview screening of the See the Girl Film Festival competition films with guests. Before the pre-screening of the films, note sheets were distributed to the audience to comment and rate the films they watched. These were then collected by the ProQvi team and evaluated during the voting to select the winners.
25.09.2023
The ProQvi team met with a local group of visually impaired people, arranged through the local project partner DANFE/EBFDA. Creative activities were done together with the participants. During this time, the local group of visually impaired people shared their experiences about being a person with disabilities in Ethiopia and the challenges of being a person with disabilities. Afterwards, a skit written by the local theater artists was staged in the art center. The ProQvi team, together with the audience, watched and interpreted the skit on “The experiences of a young woman being harassed in Ethiopia” prepared by local artists. After the staged skit, a workshop was organized with improvisational theater method where the audience took the place of the main characters in certain scenes of the skit. This experience informed the team about how different people and different genders can evaluate and react to this situation. The project team ended the day by introducing the film festival and its events to the participants.
26.09.2023
The ProQvi team met the new Creative Workshop of university students and continued their storytelling training. While listening to the stories of young Ethiopian women, the team had the chance to learn about women’s right to education and inequality of opportunity in Ethiopia. The young women also shared their experiences about the expectations of a family from young girls and the household chores they should learn. After the creative workshop, we organized a round table with artists, former politicians and local NGO workers invited by our local project partner DANFE/EBFDA. The roundtable discussed gender inequality in Ethiopia and the challenges faced by women in Ethiopia.
27.09.2023
On the last day of the creative workshop with university students, the team gave a training on the position of light and shadow in video shootings. The participants were also introduced to the See the Girl film festival and talked about the film competition. After the completion of the activities, the participants started editing their individual films to apply for the film competition.
28.09.2023
September 28 was a national religious holiday, so the ProQvi team spent the day taking part in celebrations organized by the Franciscan Sisters Missionaries of Christ.
29.09.2023
On September 29th, the ProQvi team traveled to Mount Entoto in Addis Ababa to do creative activities and hiking with the participants.
30.09.2023
The Closing Ceremony of the See the Girl Film festival was held at Soramba hotel. The closing event included workshop participants and guests. In the closing presentation we talked about what we did during the film festival. The artworks created during the festival were exhibited in the hall. After the closing presentation, the films participating in the competition were screened. After the screening, the winning participant certificates were given and the list of winning films and directors was announced. After the ceremony, the participants and guests celebrated with a buffet dinner at the restaurant where traditional Ethiopian dances were performed.
01.10.2023
Departure from Ethiopia
Thank you for your interest in “See the Girl” Film Festival in Ethiopia. For more information about the continuation of “See the Girl” Film Festival in Sweden, please click here.