"Sprouts of Arfaj": Stories That Cultivate Love for the Homeland in Children's Hearts

Amid the Kuwaiti jasmine flower and tales of the homeland, children experienced an interactive cultural and artistic event that evokes meanings of resilience, loyalty, and belonging, during the “Jasmine Sprouts” Open Day, held at the Kuwait National Library as part of the “Cultural Summer 18” festival organized by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters. The event drew inspiration from the Kuwaiti national flower, the jasmine, through a series of creative activities aimed at strengthening national identity, nurturing children’s artistic sensibilities, and introducing them to the values and meanings embodied by national symbols.

The event included an interactive reading session of the story “Flower of the Desert” from the “Tales of the Homeland” series by author Tasmim Al-Husawi, targeted at children aged five to twelve. The author presented the story using an interactive narrative style, helping children understand what the jasmine symbolizes in terms of patience, resilience, generosity, belonging, and loyalty to the homeland.

In this regard, Fawziya Al-Ali, head of the cultural activities committee at the festival, said in a statement: “The event includes, alongside the story reading, artistic activities for children such as coloring and painting on models, as well as works that reinforce national identity, along with a screening of the film ‘Our Gulf Blooms,’ produced by the Gulf Cooperation Council Common Production Programmes Foundation.”

She explained that “the film highlights the resilience of the GCC countries in the face of the challenges they have faced,” adding that “choosing the jasmine as the focal point of the event was due to its status as a national symbol and the meanings it carries, which align with the activity’s objectives of instilling national values in children through an interactive cultural and artistic approach.”