Art, storytelling, and social impact came together at Tryano, Yas Mall, as the Kalimat Foundation hosted families for an afternoon dedicated to reading, creativity, and giving, as part of its ongoing collaboration with internationally renowned French-Tunisian artist eL Seed.
The Kalimat Foundation x eL Seed pop-up, running at Tryano from 30 July to 30 August, features an exclusive collection of fashion, stationery and lifestyle products inspired by eL Seed’s distinctive “calligraffiti” style. The artist is internationally recognised for combining Arabic calligraphy with contemporary street art to explore themes such as identity, belonging, unity, and cultural connection.
The collaboration connects eL Seed’s artistic expression with Kalimat Foundation’s mission to expand children’s access to books and knowledge. Proceeds from the collection support the Foundation’s Pledge a Library initiative, with a particular focus on providing Arabic books and learning resources to children in Tunisia.
An afternoon celebrating the joy of reading
The recent activation brought together 25 children and their families for an afternoon designed to encourage a love of reading in Arabic and to demonstrate how small acts of giving can create a meaningful impact.
The programme began with a discussion by author and storyteller Samya Ayesh on the importance of encouraging children to read in Arabic. Families then participated in an interactive reading of the children’s book Aashat Al-Sheen.
Children and families also had the opportunity to personalise selected items from the Kalimat Foundation x eL Seed collection, adding a creative and personal element to the experience.
At the centre of the activation was “Jars of Joy”, an interactive initiative designed to help children understand how their participation could benefit another child.
An empty Kalimat Foundation portable library was placed at the venue at the beginning of the session. As families purchased products from the collection, each purchase symbolically sponsored 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. They decorated their bookmarks, wrote personal messages for another child and placed those messages inside the miniature jars.
The bookmarks were then added to donated books, which were placed inside the portable library one by one.
By the end of the afternoon, the once-empty library had been filled with books carrying handwritten messages from one child to another. The completed library will be donated to one of Kalimat Foundation’s beneficiary communities.
Bringing art, literacy and giving together
Amna Al Mazmi, Director of Kalimat Foundation, said the initiative demonstrates how partnerships can combine different strengths around a shared purpose.
“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,” she said.
She added that the initiative provides the public with an opportunity to participate directly in the Foundation’s mission, with every purchase helping extend access to books, knowledge and learning opportunities.
A wider literacy mission
Kalimat Foundation works to promote access to books and knowledge, encourage Arabic reading and create inclusive reading opportunities for children and communities with limited access to literature.
Through initiatives including Pledge a Library and Ara, the Foundation supports underserved and vulnerable communities, as well as children who require accessible reading formats.
The Kalimat Foundation x eL Seed collaboration was first unveiled in November 2025 in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Chairperson of Kalimat Foundation.
All proceeds from the collection are dedicated to the Pledge a Library initiative, particularly efforts to improve children’s access to Arabic stories and learning resources in Tunisia.
Visit the pop-up at Yas Mall
The Kalimat Foundation x eL Seed pop-up will continue at Tryano, Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, until 30 August 2026.
For visitors, the activation offers more than a retail experience. It demonstrates how art, creativity and community participation can be transformed into tangible social impact, helping put books and the joy of reading into the hands of children who need them most.