Exhibition in Aswan on November 14, 2023

The Goethe-Institut Cairo, VeryNile, and the 33 participants of the eight-day workshop presented the results of their joint work as part of the “Floating Forward” project on the evening of November 14, 2023.

In the previous 7 days, participants learned in various seminars about environmental pollution caused by waste, the Nile ecosystem, and upcycling and recycling options for plastic waste. In these interactive sessions, participants produced various informative and creative exhibits that were presented in the exhibition. Additionally, the exhibition featured the refurbished rowboats that the participants had repaired with recycled plastic in the preceding week and artistically embellished thereafter. These boats played a significant role in the cleanup activity, where a portion of the Nile, including its banks, was cleared of debris the day before. The resulting mountain of plastic waste was also part of the exhibition, providing visitors with a vivid illustration that there is a considerable issue of pollution in the Nile in Aswan.

The exhibition was inaugurated with a speech by the Governor of Aswan and a representative from the Egyptian Ministry of Education. Following the welcome by representatives from the Goethe-Institut and VeryNile, the Governor and the Ministry representative were guided through the exhibition, providing workshop participants with the opportunity to present and explain their exhibits.

Subsequently, the exhibition was opened to the wider audience, with the individual workshop participants stationed as experts in the various exhibition areas. They were available to answer questions on various topics, engaging with visitors and providing insights into the displayed content.

The exhibition garnered significant interest and provided workshop participants not only with a successful conclusion to an informative and active workshop week but also with the first opportunity to share the newly acquired knowledge and thus spread environmental awareness in Egyptian society.