Defence Day: Preschoolers re-enact the war of ’65, ending it with a message of peace and hope

Our best defence is to preserve the future of these children says a key figure at the Sky School System.


Our Correspondent September 06, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


To some, Defence Day may echo the memory of the martyrs of a distant war with neighbouring India. But nowadays its commemoration extends to more than just military camaraderie.


The relevance of September 6, 1965 was relayed through an event held by the Sky School System on Thursday, with performances by young, rosy-cheeked orphans.

“Our best defence is to preserve the future of these children,” said Admiral Shahid Farooq, a key figure at the Sky School System, which is a home-like orphanage for about 100 boys.

Backstage, six-year-old Arshad Ali, Abrar Hussain and their troupe of prep-level students teemed with energy and shouted out the little they knew about the day. “We defeated our enemies! We had guns!” Some donned military badges and weapons made of cardboard, sharing a sense of national pride and others nervously waved pom-poms in anticipation of their performance.

Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM) Managing Director Zamurd Khan, often referred to as “baba jaan” by the boys, was an adored chief guest at the occasion.

The Sky School System, sponsored by Hassan Bokhari and run by Shahid Farooq, Sonia Shahid and Shehla Kamran, is in collaboration with Pakistan Sweet Homes, which was started in 2007 by PBM after the Kashmir earthquake and has since expanded as a home to over 3,000 children.

The performances on Thursday ranged from a colourful “wheels on the bus” to a heart-wrenching “heal the world” to a humorous dance on “mera mahi chain chabeela”, with boys disguised as dames dancing around their brave soldiers. The children also re-enacted the Indo-Pak war, concluding it in a hopeful dialogue between a young Ayub Khan and an even younger Gandhi.

Many students at the school are from northern areas, speaking and understanding little Urdu, so doting teachers stood within close proximity of the stage twirling, clapping and mouthing the words of songs with their students.

“We are working on the academic and psychological growth of these children,” said Shehla, the headmistress.

She said that the model of a small school cum orphanage with a home-like environment serves to foster the positive development of the orphaned boys, through “love, care and counselling”.

While the orphanage has been around for little over three months, its conscientious patrons hope to invest in the young children they have taken under their wing and to provide them with not only a strong education but also the care and attention that will carry them a long way.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2012. 

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ