BY LEULSEGED WORKU
The power of art to express one`s feeling is unquestionable. This age, where social media has interconnected every human kind, is bringing the hidden talents of many people into light.
Maedot Art Centre is one of the centres where the young people are expressing themselves and their feelings through art and social media as well. Surafel Yegezu, is one of the founders of this group.
In an exclusive interview with this journalist, Surafel said that, art and books have the power to shape the youth, said Surafel. Art enables society in general and the youth in particular to see things in different perspectives. In this regard, Maedot Art Centre is trying its level best to impart knowledge to the youth and the community in Harar. Using art as a weapon, Maedot is creating an opportunity for the youth to reflect their feelings.
As to him, despite the fact that the Centre was founded last year, it is attracting several art lovers and book readers from Harar City as well as from other Cities.
“Having Yetebeb Meshetoch (Art nights) have a great potential to gather those talented youth into the centre and prevent them from spending their time unwisely.” Using all the available platforms, Maedot is encouraging Harar youths to be good readers and is creating them a good opportunity to expand their knowledge about their surroundings.
Commonly there is a prejudice among some people that most of the youths in Harar are addicted Khat chewers; which is totally wrong. Harar, as one of tourist attraction destinations and centre of Ethiopian civilization, is a land where several heroes, artists, writers and readers are found. In this regard, Maedot Art Centre is encouraging the society, especially the youth, to read more and express itself through art.
When asked how or where they get the books, Surafel said that accessing books to readers is truly a challenge task for the Centre. However, using the collected books from individual donors such as teachers and Harar Tourism Bureau, they are trying their level best to encourage their readers and meet their expectations. “The price of books is increasing from time to time. As a means to overcome this problem, I and the rest of members of the association have voluntarily contributed books,” he added.
Reading opens opportunities, said Surafel. In this globalized world, information is more accessible than before; simply with a single click. However, this is not the case to most of us. Despite the fact that information and online books are available, a large number of young people tend to spend their time in online searching and reading what is trash and unimportant. Due to this; and in most cases the information disseminated on those media is not age- appropriate; plus we do not use it in responsible manner, our knowledge has become shallow.
In this regard, Maedot is trying its level best to create a reader generation who develops critical thinking skills, asks questions and sees things from different perspectives.
Through discussion and reviewing a single book, youth can develop the culture of reading; initiated to read more books and can build their knowledge and skills. What is more, by taking a single good character from a given novel, we can adopt that character to ours. Characters are created not only for the sake of reader’s entertainment. They are also there to shape our character, says Surafel.
“Maedot Centre encourages its members to read one book in a week. After we finish reading that book, we discussed on it thoroughly. This enables the readers to have a broad understanding and diverse view about that particular book.
According to Surafel, Maedot Art Centre, besides entertaining the youth and the community in Harar City, also has a vision of supporting the needy people. Using the income it earns from various art programs the Centre is supporting the needy elderly people residing in the City.
Several researches are indicating that people who read books are better informed than people who do not; and are consequently better able to hold their own in society. They are more aware of their surroundings and can envisage themselves more easily in other people’s places. They are more capable of reflecting on their own conduct and on that of others, communicate with others simply, express and share their ideas appropriately.
Reading books lets them acquire a wide range of skills that also make them stand out on the work floor. In fact, reading books even helps make them more healthy: firstly because people who read books are better informed about topics such as health risks and access to care, and secondly because reading books has a positive effect on the brain. Finally and not unimportantly: Reading books is an exceptionally pleasant pastime that adds to individuals’ happiness and sense of well-being.
In this regard, in the ever changing society, reading and art has a great potential to produce an ethical and critical society. The youth who are in most cases victims of unemployment and weapons for anti-peace elements have untapped potential that can be changed into something productive. In this regard, supporting associations like that of Maedot Art Centre, which are working to nurture the culture of reading among the young people; and raise a generation of readers is not a liability. It is an asset. Having a reader generation builds a strong and peaceful nation.
Ethiopia, a land of diversity, has millions of youths their active participation in creating a more stable, peaceful and prosperous nation is decisive.
These segments of the society though are key agents for social change, economic development and technological innovation, for decades; they had been used as an instrument by those political antagonizing forces. Due to civil wars and political hostilities against those political factions; several of them have lost their priceless lives.
We are now in a new era where the government and others are using the youth not for the sake of war but for the sake of technological innovation, art, science and others. The construction of Abrehot Grand Library, Science Museums and others are good indications to this.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 3 JULY 2022
