Kalimat turns art into books for children at Tryano Abu Dhabi

Kalimat Foundation brought together families for an afternoon of storytelling, creativity and giving at Tryano, Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, as part of its ongoing collaboration with internationally renowned French-Tunisian artist eL Seed.

Running at Tryano, part of Chalhoub Group, at Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, from 30th July until 30th August, the Kalimat Foundation x eL Seed pop-up features an exclusive collection of fashion, stationery and lifestyle products inspired by eL Seed’s signature “calligraffiti” style. Known internationally for merging Arabic calligraphy with contemporary street art, eL Seed uses language and visual expression to explore themes of identity, belonging, unity and cultural connection.

The collaboration brings together Kalimat Foundation’s mission to expand access to books and knowledge with eL Seed’s distinctive artistic language, creating a collection through which the public can support a wider literacy cause. Proceeds from the collection support the Foundation’s Pledge a Library initiative, with a particular focus on providing Arabic titles, books and learning resources to children in Tunisia.

The activation welcomed 25 children and their families for an afternoon centred on inspiring a love of reading in Arabic, encouraging family participation, and showing how a simple act of giving can help another child discover a book.

At the beginning of the session, an empty Kalimat Foundation portable library was placed on display. As families purchased items from the Kalimat Foundation x eL Seed collection, with each purchase symbolically sponsoring a book for a child in need, participating children received a donated book, a craft kit and a specially designed bookmark featuring a miniature hanging jar.

The children decorated their bookmarks, wrote personal messages for another child and placed their notes inside the miniature jars. The bookmarks were then added to donated books and placed, one by one, inside the portable library.

By the end of the afternoon, the once-empty library had been filled with books, each carrying a handwritten message from one child to another. The completed portable library will now be donated to one of Kalimat Foundation’s beneficiary communities, carrying with it not only stories and knowledge, but also the words and wishes of the children who helped fill its shelves.

Strategic partnerships that turn shared values into social impact

Commenting on the initiative, Amna Al Mazmi, Director of Kalimat Foundation, said, “The most meaningful partnerships are those that bring different strengths together around a shared purpose and turn that collaboration into tangible impact. Our partnership with eL Seed brings together art, Arabic language, literacy and giving, while our collaboration with Tryano creates an important platform to bring that purpose closer to families and the wider community. Together, these partnerships allow creativity, community engagement and giving to come together around something much greater: a child’s right to read.”

Kalimat Foundation works to advance access to books and knowledge, promote Arabic reading and create inclusive reading opportunities for children and communities whose access to literature may otherwise be limited. Through initiatives including Pledge a Library and Ara, the Foundation supports underserved and vulnerable communities as well as children who require accessible reading formats.