Makanuna مَكَـــــــــــــــــــانُنَا

Makanuna is all about empowering children and youth to make a positive impact in their communities. 🌟 Makanuna is a dynamic youth-led placemaking initiative. It cultivates child and youth placemakers, empowering them to collectively reimagine public spaces and shape the built environment that authentically reflects their identity and contributes to vibrant futures for their cities. Engaging in hands-on creative activities deeply rooted in cultural context, it addresses spatial challenges while celebrating the living heritage that makes each community unique. Its approach is place-based, allowing its initiatives to vary from short-term activities to long-term projects or programs. Our focus is on children and youth, but we're also passionate about engaging with local communities, especially women and elders. Together, we're building vibrant, inclusive places! Makanuna builds upon the success of Makanuna al-Khalifa, a community placemaking project in Al-khalifa Cairo, Egypt. Originally part of a regional collaboration during Tandem 360 program. During 2021-2022, over 20 adolescents and youth in reshaping their local park and neighborhood. Through hands-on workshops, participants designed and built park furniture and games from recycled materials, created art installations, and contributed to the beautification of public spaces. With its core team comprised of individuals who played key roles in the original al-Khalifa project, the current initiative continues the legacy, expanding its mission to engage and activate young placemakers across Egypt. The goal is to build vibrant and inclusive cities shaped by the voices of children and youth.