Mariam and Salim compare a neighbourhood festival with weekly workshops. They weigh attendance against lasting value before dividing a grant.
01Read the Arabic conversation
تَمْوِيلُ مِهْرَجَانٍ أَمْ أَنْشِطَةٍ أُسْبُوعِيَّةٍ
مَرْيَمُ: لَدَيْنَا مِنْحَةٌ بِقِيمَةِ سِتَّةِ آلَافِ رِيَالٍ. أَقْتَرِحُ تَخْصِيصَهَا لِمِهْرَجَانٍ يَجْمَعُ سُكَّانَ الْحَيِّ فِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ.
سَلِيمٌ: الْمِهْرَجَانُ يَجْذِبُ جُمْهُورًا وَاسِعًا، لَكِنَّنِي أُفَضِّلُ أَنْشِطَةً أُسْبُوعِيَّةً تَبْنِي عِلَاقَاتٍ تَسْتَمِرُّ بَعْدَ انْتِهَاءِ الْفَعَالِيَّةِ.
مَرْيَمُ: قَدْ يَحْضُرُ الْمِهْرَجَانَ أَرْبَعُمِئَةِ شَخْصٍ، بَيْنَمَا تَسْتَوْعِبُ الْوَرْشَةُ أَرْبَعِينَ فَقَطْ. أَلَا يَعْنِي ذَلِكَ فَائِدَةً أَوْسَعَ؟
سَلِيمٌ: عَدَدُ الزُّوَّارِ مُهِمٌّ، لَكِنَّهُ لَا يَكْشِفُ عَمَّا يَتَعَلَّمُونَهُ. وَالْمُشَارَكَةُ الْمُتَكَرِّرَةُ أَعْمَقُ مِنَ الزِّيَارَةِ الْعَابِرَةِ أَحْيَانًا.
مَرْيَمُ: أُوَافِقُكَ، لَكِنَّ بَعْضَ الْأُسَرِ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ الْحُضُورَ كُلَّ أُسْبُوعٍ. يُتِيحُ لَهَا الْيَوْمُ الْمَفْتُوحُ فُرْصَةً لِلتَّعَارُفِ.
سَلِيمٌ: صَحِيحٌ، وَلَا أَقْتَرِحُ اِسْتِبْعَادَهَا. أَمَّا الْوَرَشُ فَتَمْنَحُ مَنْ يَرْغَبُ فُرْصَةً لِتَعَلُّمِ مَهَارَةٍ تَدْرِيجِيًّا.
مَرْيَمُ: هَلْ تَكْفِي الْمِنْحَةُ لِأَنْشِطَةٍ طُولَ السَّنَةِ؟ أَخْشَى أَنْ نُعْلِنَ بَرْنَامَجًا لَا نَسْتَطِيعُ تَمْوِيلَهُ حَتَّى نِهَايَتِهِ.
سَلِيمٌ: لَا، إِذَا خَصَّصْنَا سِتَّمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ لِكُلِّ وَرْشَةٍ، تَكْفِي لِعَشْرِ وَرَشٍ فَقَطْ. يَشْمَلُ ذَلِكَ الْقَاعَةَ وَالْمَوَادَّ.
مَرْيَمُ: إِذَنْ لِنُقَارِنْ خُطَطًا مُمْكِنَةً. يُمْكِنُ تَقْلِيصُ الْمِهْرَجَانِ بِاسْتِخْدَامِ السَّاحَةِ الْمَجَّانِيَّةِ وَإِلْغَاءِ اسْتِئْجَارِ الْمِنَصَّةِ الْكَبِيرَةِ.
سَلِيمٌ: كَمْ سَيُكَلِّفُ الْيَوْمُ الْمُصَغَّرُ؟ يَجِبُ أَنْ نُبْقِيَ التَّنْظِيمَ وَالتَّنْظِيفَ فِي الْحِسَابِ، لَا أَنْ نَحْسِبَ الزِّينَةَ وَحْدَهَا.
مَرْيَمُ: أَلْفَيْنِ وَأَرْبَعَمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ شَامِلَةً هَذِهِ التَّكَالِيفَ. وَيَبْقَى ثَلَاثَةُ آلَافٍ وَسِتُّمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ لِوَرَشٍ أُسْبُوعِيَّةٍ.
سَلِيمٌ: هَذَا يُمَوِّلُ سِتَّ وَرَشٍ، أَيْ تَجْرِبَةً لِسِتَّةِ أَسَابِيعَ. لَكِنْ كَيْفَ نَمْنَعُ اسْتِفَادَةَ الْمَجْمُوعَةِ نَفْسِهَا وَحْدَهَا؟
مَرْيَمُ: نَفْتَحُ التَّسْجِيلَ مَجَّانًا، وَنُخَصِّصُ بَعْضَ الْأَمَاكِنِ لِمُشَارِكِينَ جُدُدٍ فِي كُلِّ وَرْشَةٍ، مَعَ قَائِمَةِ انْتِظَارٍ وَاضِحَةٍ.
سَلِيمٌ: أُؤَيِّدُ ذَلِكَ، بِشَرْطِ أَنْ نُعْلِنَ الْقَوَاعِدَ مُسْبَقًا. وَيُمْكِنُ التَّسْجِيلُ هَاتِفِيًّا لِمَنْ لَا يَسْتَخْدِمُ الْإِنْتَرْنِتَ.
مَرْيَمُ: نَجْعَلُ الْيَوْمَ الْمَفْتُوحَ فُرْصَةً لِتَعْرِيفِ النَّاسِ بِالْوَرَشِ، دُونَ اشْتِرَاطِ حُضُورِهِ لِلْحُصُولِ عَلَى مَكَانٍ فِيهَا.
سَلِيمٌ: وَنَسْأَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يُشَارِكُوا عَنْ أَسْبَابِهِمْ. فَرُبَّمَا يَكُونُ الْمَوْعِدُ عَائِقًا، وَلَيْسَ عَدَمُ اهْتِمَامِهِمْ بِالْأَنْشِطَةِ.
مَرْيَمُ: إِذَا اكْتَفَيْنَا بِعَدِّ الْحُضُورِ فَقَدْ نُهْمِلُ هَذِهِ الْأَسْبَابَ. نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مُلَاحَظَاتٍ عَنِ التَّجْرِبَةِ أَيْضًا.
سَلِيمٌ: وَنُسَجِّلُ عَدَدَ الْأَشْخَاصِ الْمُخْتَلِفِينَ وَعَدَدَ الزِّيَارَاتِ بِصُورَةٍ مُنْفَصِلَةٍ؛ فَحُضُورُ شَخْصٍ سِتَّ مَرَّاتٍ لَا يَعْنِي سِتَّةَ مُشَارِكِينَ.
مَرْيَمُ: بَعْدَ التَّجْرِبَةِ، نُقَارِنُ التَّكْلِفَةَ وَالْفَائِدَةَ وَتَنَوُّعَ الْمُشَارَكِينَ، ثُمَّ نَبْحَثُ تَمْوِيلَ الْمَرْحَلَةِ التَّالِيَةِ عَلَى هَذَا الْأَسَاسِ.
سَلِيمٌ: مُتَّفِقُونَ، لَكِنْ لَنْ نَعِدَ بِاسْتِمْرَارِ الْوَرَشِ طُولَ السَّنَةِ قَبْلَ تَأْمِينِ تَمْوِيلٍ جَدِيدٍ لَهَا.
مَرْيَمُ: سَأُعِدُّ مُقْتَرَحًا يُوَضِّحُ تَوْزِيعَ الْمِنْحَةِ وَمُدَّةَ التَّجْرِبَةِ، وَأَطْلُبُ مُوَافَقَةَ اللَّجْنَةِ قَبْلَ أَيِّ إِعْلَانٍ.
سَلِيمٌ: جَيِّدٌ، فَنَحْنُ نَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ فُرْصَةِ اللِّقَاءِ الْوَاسِعِ وَالتَّعَلُّمِ الْمُسْتَمِرِّ، دُونَ تَجَاوُزِ الْمِيزَانِيَّةِ الْمُتَاحَةِ.
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Mariam: We have a grant of six thousand riyals. I suggest allocating it to a festival bringing neighbours together for one day.
Salim: A festival attracts a wide audience, but I prefer weekly activities that build relationships lasting beyond the event.
Mariam: Four hundred people might attend the festival, whereas a workshop holds only forty. Does that not mean a wider benefit?
Salim: Visitor numbers matter, but do not reveal what people learn. Repeated participation is sometimes deeper than a brief visit.
Mariam: I agree, but some families cannot attend every week. An open day gives them a chance to meet others.
Salim: True, and I am not suggesting excluding them. As for workshops, they let interested participants learn a skill gradually.
Mariam: Will the grant cover activities throughout the year? I fear announcing a programme we cannot fund to completion.
Salim: No. If we allocate six hundred riyals per workshop, it covers only ten workshops, including the room and materials.
Mariam: Then let us compare feasible plans. We can reduce the festival by using the free square and dropping the large stage rental.
Salim: What would the smaller day cost? We must include organisation and cleaning, not just decorations.
Mariam: Two thousand four hundred riyals, including those costs. That leaves three thousand six hundred for weekly workshops.
Salim: That funds six workshops: a six-week trial. But how do we avoid benefiting only the same group?
Mariam: We open registration free of charge and reserve some places for newcomers at each workshop, with a clear waiting list.
Salim: I support that, provided we announce the rules beforehand. People who do not use the internet can register by phone.
Mariam: We use the open day to introduce the workshops, without making attendance a condition for getting a place.
Salim: We also ask nonparticipants about their reasons. Timing may be a barrier, rather than lack of interest in activities.
Mariam: If we only count attendance, we may overlook those reasons. We also need feedback on the experience.
Salim: We record distinct people and visits separately: one person attending six times does not mean six participants.
Mariam: After the trial, we compare cost, benefit and participant diversity, then explore funding the next phase on that basis.
Salim: Agreed, but we will not promise workshops throughout the year before securing new funding.
Mariam: I will prepare a proposal explaining the allocation and trial duration, and seek committee approval before any announcement.
Salim: Good. We combine a broad opportunity to meet with sustained learning, without exceeding the available budget.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| مِنْحَةٌ | a grant |
| جُمْهُورًا وَاسِعًا | a wide audience |
| الْمُشَارَكَةُ الْمُتَكَرِّرَةُ | repeated participation |
| الزِّيَارَةِ الْعَابِرَةِ | a brief visit |
| تَقْلِيصُ الْمِهْرَجَانِ | reducing the festival’s scale |
| قَائِمَةِ انْتِظَارٍ | a waiting list |
| مُسْبَقًا | beforehand |
| عَائِقًا | a barrier |
| بِصُورَةٍ مُنْفَصِلَةٍ | separately |
| تَأْمِينِ تَمْوِيلٍ جَدِيدٍ | securing new funding |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic conversation for evidence. Open the English question support or a hint when you need help.
What to remember
- Compare attendance figures with lasting benefits for participants.
- Define a funded trial clearly and distinguish a proposal from an approved commitment.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this conversation.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
الْمُشَارَكَةُ الْمُتَكَرِّرَةُ أَعْمَقُ مِنَ الزِّيَارَةِ الْعَابِرَةِ
Use a comparison with min to distinguish deeper participation from a brief visit.
Amma and Fa in Arabic: As For This Topic
أَمَّا الْوَرَشُ فَتَمْنَحُ مَنْ يَرْغَبُ فُرْصَةً لِتَعَلُّمِ مَهَارَةٍ تَدْرِيجِيًّا
Introduce workshops as a separate topic with amma and link the comment with fa.
Idha in Arabic: How to Say When and If
إِذَا خَصَّصْنَا سِتَّمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ لِكُلِّ وَرْشَةٍ
Read a past-form verb after idha as a possible future allocation.
