Embassy of Spain: Storytelling Performance and World Book & Copyright Day

The storytelling event to mark the World Book and Copyright Day, organised by the Embassy of Spain, was fun and totally different from the usual story telling. It was a story telling performance--- a PLAY. It is the story of Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. The play director, Mrs. Laura Elorriaga, acted herself as Robin Hood. Her horsemen were Newman Gonpil and Ignacio Garrido (Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Spain). The children acted as trees, flowers in the forest as well as the stone wall and windows of the palace.

When they stormed the palace of the king, acted by a Japanese gentleman who was just picked out from the audience, Robin Hood and her horsemen used bow and arrows (they mimicked the shooting of an arrow) while throwing ropes to climb the palace. Once inside the palace, the king surrendered, ending the play.

The children just loved it! They were instant performers as they were just picked out from the audience by the play director, to act in a part, while the play was in progress.

The introduction was made by Ignacio Garrido, Deputy Head Mission, Spanish Embassy. The guest speaker was Rosemary Nwangwu of Unesco. She is the National Programming Office (Education).

Also present at the event were Eva Barta (Cultural Officer, Embassy of Spain), Monica Dominguez (also of the Embassy of Spain), Bibi Bakare (of Cassava Republic) and Gillian Parker (of the NGO Reading and Writing)

The storyteller Laura Elorriaga, is the Director of CLAP (Combining Learning, Acting and Playing ). According to her, she is in Abuja only for a week, just to do the play for the Spanish Embassy.


The venue of the play was at Casalinda, located at No. 8, Colorado Close, Maitama.

Everybody had fun! Thanks a lot, Embassy of Spain. We look forward to next year’s celebration of WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY!

Related post: World Book and Copyright Day 2010 at the Embassy of Spain

Laura Elorriaga, middle, with her co-performers

Laura Elorriaga, director of CLAP, performs in Abuja

Scenes from the storytelling perfomance

Scene from the storytelling performance of Robinhood

Scenes from the storytelling performance

Scene from the storytelling performance

Eva Barta and Laura Elorriaga

Members of the audience.
Top right - Monica Dominguez with another guest.
Bottom: left - Bibi Bakare of Cassava Republic; middle - Gillian Parker of RAW

 Related post: World Book and Copyright Day 2010 at the Embassy of Spain

Celebrating womanhood in Abuja

Women of different nationalities celebrated the INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY on Friday, 11th March 2011, at the Dunes Continental Restaurant on Ironsi Way, Maitama, Abuja.

The event was organised by Maryse Coutu (as part of her farewell to her Nigerian experience) and her friends Johanne, Patience and Milad, in partnership with the Abuja International Women's Club.

The night started off with talks by three speakers followed by dinner and dancing till midnight! The guest speakers were:

a) Gillian Parker who talked about a new reading and writing NGO aiming to support literacy development and creative writing programmes in Nigeria. She talked about RAW's aims, future projects and how they plan to achieve their goals, explaining how you can get involved in RAW's programmes.

b) Doctor Ilana Lapidos-Salaiz, US Department of Defense HIV Program (Nigeria) Manager of PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief). She talked about how she balances caring for her family, nurturing her career and trailing her spouse through 5 countries over the past ten years.

c) The third speaker was Hauwa Shekarau, National Vice President of Nigerian Women Lawyers, who drew on her personal experience to highlight some of the social difficulties for women in accessing high levels of education.


The emcee was Patience Bentu, Public Relations and Communication Specialist. Photos by Araceli Aipoh and Thalie Jibrin.