During Kalimat Foundation visit to Rabat as part of the World Book Capital celebrations, we had the great honour of visiting the Dr. Abderrahmane Fennich Foundation, a remarkable institution dedicated to healing children through the arts.
We were warmly welcomed by Madame Naïla Fennich, who graciously guided us through every facet of the Foundation’s work, starting with a fabulous storytelling workshop for the children.
I then joined H.E. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, in opening its new « Books at the Hospital » initiative — part of the foundation’s World Book Capital programme —bringing the magic of reading into hospital wards.
We saw the Foundation’s “Book Journey” museum, tracing the evolution of the book throughout human history, and in the theatre enjoyed speeches, poetry, and a moving performance by two children whose health was restored through music.
Finally, the Kalimat Foundation donated a library. We sat and spoke to the children, put the books into their hands, and shared a moment none of us will forget.
The Dr Abderrahmane Fennich Foundation has shown that culture is like medicine, and I’m proud to stand alongside this institution. Like the Kalimat Foundation, it stands by the belief that every child deserves access to stories, imagination and the boundless world that books open up.
