1. The Middle East's Leading English Language Daily
Date:Thursday, 14 Jun 2007 09:48:31 +0100
15/06/2007
Hello,
Mohamed Awad is suggesting the following article from http://www.arabnews.com:
Crafting Talent
Lu lwa Shalhoub | Arab News
There's one question that many parents ask themselves very often — Where can I take my children on weekends? Most
entertaining places depend on video games or amusement centers where a child gets back home with nothing but some hours of
empty joy during which he or she learned nothing beneficial. Hobbies such as painting and handicrafts are nonstarters especially
when children have nobody to encourage them to explore their skills.
Then along came Mohamed Awadh, chairman of Mohamed Faisal Saleh Awadh Establishment, who provided a place with a
difference. He established Kidzz Café so that children could have a chance to spend time and develop some useful skills and
talents at the café located in the Al-Tahlia Center in Jeddah. He hopes to help some who will become the artists of the future.
He passed his interest in different handicrafts to chi ldren through Kidzz Café; a café made for children only, without parents or
nursemaids. There they learn to do mosaics and to color both ceramics and glass.
Awadh is not new in the business of art for children. In 1989, he opened a shop, ‘Crafts and Arts’ where he sold artists’ supplies.
Four years ago he closed the shop, seeing that customers had changed and no longer wanted to buy expensive items from
Europe and the US; however, he wanted to continue in the same field of creating beneficial entertainment for children rather than
simply sitting them down in front of a TV or a computer screen.
Early last year, Awadh opened Kidzz Café, which concentrates on children from the age of four to 12. He faced some obstacles at
the beginning when he hired female college students to assist in the café and work as part-timers in the evenings.
They could not continue unfortunately because the authorities dismissed them, citing “mixing” as the reason. The girls worked
with children below the age of 10.
On weekdays, the café is open from 5 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. and, on weekends, the closing time is 11:30 p.m. The class levels and
workshops are divided by age. The first level of the Ceramic Painting Workshop is for children from 5 to 7 while the second level
is for those from 8 to 12.
The same levels apply to the Creative Painting & Drawing classes, Glass Painting Workshops, Mosaic Workshop, Silk Painting
and Stenciling.
Kidzz Café also encourages children who do not know how to paint or who may not realize that they have artistic talents. “We try
to encourage them to try all kinds of crafts in order for them to find what they prefer. Some like painting on ceramics or mosaic.
Once they find what they like, they are hooked on it.”
The café offers different packages for children. The latest is Kidzz Corner Package, which is 45 minutes of coloring, games and a
meal for SR45. It also arranges parties for children at reasonable prices.
Awadh said, “I am very concerned that the customer does not feel that he is cheated. Money is not my priority. What I care about
is to encourage the children to have fun through learning art and to feel that the place is made for them only in order to feel
independent.”

2. Awadh has continuous arguments with mothers and maids since he does not allow maids to come into the café along with the
children. They have special seating outside where they can watch but without actually being with the children.
“When I inform the maids that they are not allowed inside, they reply very rudely as if they were the mothers. Families are
welcome to share their children’s activities as a way of spending special time with the children but maids are not members of the
families,” he said.
He feels that since children can spend a whole day at school without their maids, then t hey can spend their time in Kidzz Café on
their own with their peers. Awadh is planning aerobics classes for girls from 10 to 15 to teach them to stay healthy. The location
will be private for girls only and will be offered during the summer vacation.
The Young Businessman is another program for the summer for the same age. It is made to teach children basic information and
skills concerning how to manage their business and sell their handicrafts. The business course will be both beneficial and fun. It
will not be lectures but will be practical. “I’m trying to do something besides letting children waste their time in amusement parks,”
he said.
“We will arrange an open day and invite parents to come and buy their children’s products. I will give each child SR20 to buy the
items they will color and customize and then fix a price to sell it. Let’s say for example SR50. They will then return the SR20 and
keep the remaining profit f or themselves,” he said.
As it is located in the ‘Al-Tahlia Center’, parents have the chance of leaving their children, doing some shopping and then coming
back for the children. Children are invited to register their names for the summer programs now. It is suitable for Arabic and
English speakers. Visitors can leave their opinions in a guest book.
“I have read positive views regarding the café, especially from mothers. Thirty people registered their children in the summer
program although the registering only began last week,” he said.
“The café allows children to invest their leisure time in developing their skills in whatever interests them,” said Um Mohamed, the
mother of a girl who has been a monthly subscriber for four months. She told her friends to come to the café and share her
interests. “My daughter is talented in drawing and I want her to continue nurturing her talent in this place that I feel is safe and
secure for children,” she said.
Nuha Madani is the mother of seven-year-old Mariam. She heard about Kidzz Café when her daughter was in a summer camp
and then brought her daughter to the cafe. Mariam enjoys painting and often does butterflies in a variety of colors. “I really love it
here. It is better than amusement parks and fun fairs,” she said.
By the side of the drawing tables, there is a line of desks with computers and slim screens where children can play video games
and use the Internet. “I come here every week from the Eastern Province; I spend Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Jeddah.
I’m now downloading songs from the Internet and listening to them,” said Amjad, seven.