Seeds of Hope

Context

The Al Rashid Education Foundation (AREF) provides scholarships to students from visible minorities, supporting their academic journeys and leadership development. Each year, recipients are honoured at an annual gala that connects students, families, and donors.

In 2023, the gala was canceled due to the genocide in Gaza, though scholarships were still awarded. On December 6, 2024, AREF returned with the Seeds of Hope gala — an evening dedicated to reflection, resilience, and remembrance.

The event recognized both the 2023 and 2024 scholarship recipients while honouring the profound loss of scholars and educators martyred in Gaza.

Challenge

The question we asked ourselves was:

How might we design an evening that balances grief and remembrance with celebration, offering guests a message of resilience and hope?

The gala needed to:

  • Acknowledge the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the devastation in Lebanon.

  • Honour the memory and legacies of scholars taken from us.

  • Celebrate the achievements of scholarship recipients, embodying resilience and hope.

  • Use symbolism, storytelling, and design to create a moving, unified experience.

Process

The Seeds of Hope gala wove together powerful metaphors, visual symbolism, and storytelling to carry its message.

  • Theme: “Seeds of Hope” — rooted in the idea that knowledge, like a seed, cannot be buried. Even in loss, ideas and legacies continue to grow.

  • Keynote: Dr. Ghada Akeel spoke on The Resilience of the Education System in Gaza, highlighting the determination of educators and students amid immense challenges.

  • Symbols of growth and renewal:

    • Tree centerpieces represented the olive tree of Palestine and the Arz tree of Lebanon — symbols of strength, endurance, and rootedness.

    • Oranges at each table symbolized the promise of seeds bearing fruit, even under hardship.

    • Packets of Icelandic poppy seeds were given as take-home favours, representing resilience and solidarity.

  • Literary tribute: Each table featured a poem by Dr. Refaat Alareer, a professor and poet martyred in the genocide. His words reminded guests that ideas, like seeds, endure and inspire long after being planted.

  • Program design: Guests moved through an evening of remembrance, student recognition, and calls to carry legacies forward.

Outcomes

  • Brought together hundreds of community members in an evening that honoured scholars who were lost and those stepping into their own academic journeys.

  • Publicly honoured both the 2023 and 2024 scholarship recipients, ensuring their achievements were recognized despite the previous year’s postponement.

  • Engaged guests through symbolism, storytelling, and ritual, leaving them with a sense of solidarity and shared purpose.

  • Provided tangible symbols (seed packets, oranges, poems) that extended the theme into participants’ lives beyond the event.

Reflections

The Seeds of Hope gala was a powerful reminder that event design is a form of storytelling. By layering metaphors, cultural symbols, and lived narratives, the evening held space for grief while also celebrating resilience and continuity.

It also demonstrated how education itself is an act of hope — each scholarship recipient carrying forward the seeds planted by those whose lives were cut short.