Baladi” Exhibition”

The “Baladi” exhibition is organized each year for 3 to 5 days around the beginning of December. It started in 1993 and is focused on promoting handcrafts and local Egyptian specialties. It aims to provide an exposure opportunity for small non-governmental organizations (NGO), charities, local communities, and individuals with small projects. In this encounter, the exhibitors have a chance to test their products, know the clients’ needs and enhance the quality of their work, by interacting and sharing their experience with clients and other exhibitors.
The exhibition usually has around 40 NGOs and individuals from different governorates in Egypt. You can find all sorts of gift ideas for Christmas or just things to buy for the house or your loved ones. The products vary from hand embroidered linen, scarfs, bags to woodwork, food, kids’ toys, accessories, Christmas decorations, and much more. Furthermore, you can always find activities for the kids during the exhibition as well as Christmas Carols.
The exhibition is organized by the Christian Life Community (CLC). Each year, the preparation for the exhibition starts in the preceding September or October with a group of volunteers from the CLC. Everyone is eager and willing to help with whatever they can for Baladi. The tasks before and during the exhibition vary: from setting up, decorating, cooking, to advertising, coordinating with the exhibitors and book-keeping,…etc. The organizing team (friends) give power to each other and consequently to the exhibitors. With this spirit of work, every year new members join the organizing team.
Even when some of the exhibitors don’t financially profit much from their presence at the exhibition, they always love to come back again and participate because it gives them the opportunity to open up to each other and to different people, spend two days in a warm, family atmosphere. They are grateful for Baladi for the love and spirit they experienced and witnessed. They also emphasize how their work evolved over the years with Baladi. On the visitors’ side, they usually come in families, especially if a family day fair is organized alongside the exhibition. They can enjoy the Christmas spirit, while shopping, and socializing year after year. Many visitors actually come to provide positive support to the exhibitors.
After the exhibition, the organizing team, exhibitors and visitors realize, each year, that what mattered most was the spirit. Baladi exhibition is all about the support and encouragement given to each other. The excitement and joy that come after every exhibition are worth the effort from all participants.

Drafted by: May Magdy
Reviewed by: Ayman George