Egyptian swimmer and Olympic champion Farida Othman is supporting the Goethe Institute's project ‘Schools without Violence,’ presented as part of the ‘Dialogue and Progress’ projects funded by the German foreign ministry.

In a series of short videos posted on social media, the Olympic champion addresses children and young people, urging them to follow their dreams and believe in their ability to achieve them.

In the second video, the fastest swimmer in Africa talks about her daily routine and how she maintains her physical and mental health.

The last video explains the importance of sport for children and young people, and how sport can contribute to peaceful coexistence and reduce violence and bullying.

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Within the framework of the "Violence-Free Schools" initiative, the Goethe Institute works in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Education and various partners such as the German Sports University of Cologne and the Bremen Institute for Education and Psychology.

The initiative aims to provide many advanced training courses and workshops for teachers, headmasters, school administrators and psychologists, social pedagogues, as well as the decision-makers in the educational sector in order to develop practical strategies of resolving conflicts in education and creating an educational environment free of violence in Egyptian schools.

The workshops and training courses contain the newest educational methods and means to instill the values ​​of mutual respect, support and constructive communication, since these are the necessary mechanisms for children and youth to have a high-quality educational experience.

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Susanne Höhn, regional director of the Goethe Institute in the Middle East and North Africa, expressed her happiness with the project.

"We are pleased with the support of Olympic champion Farida Othman, who was recently selected among the 30 most influential people under the age of 30 in the Middle East by Forbes Middle East… as well as the fruitful cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Education in various educational fields. Undoubtedly, preparing teachers and social workers to adopt innovative methods that enhance dialogue, understanding and mutual respect in schools has become indispensable all over the world."

"In Egypt, teachers and students join the rest of the world in facing the numerous challenges imposed by the coronavirus crisis. Our training also helps them tackle the new everyday reality at school – be it difficulties in the adoption of online learning methods or students developing increasingly problematic behavior," she added.

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