Children of Macchar Colony bedazzle audience with their talent

Showcase their gymnastic and acting skills during Khel Kay Sitaray

KARACHI: Bringing colour and life to Macchar Colony, children of the neighbourhood showcased their gymnastic and acting talents during ‘Khel Kay Sitaray’.

The event was organised by the Imkaan Welfare Organisation on Friday in Macchar Colony at their recreational centre known as Khel Ghar [play house].



The slum, which is filled with pungent smell, usually bears a forlorn look. However, the children succeeded in their mission to bring back hope for the residents of the area.

The show started with the children, aged 10 to 15 years, showcasing their gymnastic skills, which impressed the audience and resulted in majority members of the audience standing up from their seats to enjoy a better view of the performance.



With just nine months of training, the young boys took 10 steps and then launched themselves into the air, rotated their bodies twice and landed safely on the ground.

Overcome with emotions, non-governmental organisation (NGO) director Tahera Hasan was brimming with pride and joy while watching the performance of the children.

One of the youngest performers, 11-year-old Abdul Wahid said that he has been practicing for the last six months. He said that he does not go to school but attends the two-hour-long gymnastics class at the centre thrice a week.



Along with gymnastics, children also showcased their acting skills by performing a play, titled Koora Kahan Daaloon [Where to dispose of the garbage?]. The play centred on teaching the significance of proper disposal of trash to the residents of the area.

Overcoming barriers

Another performer, Muhammad Alam, 15, said that many of his friends have shown interest in coming to the centre but they are discouraged by their parents, who want their children to work rather than play.

The children’s coach Muhammad Furqan, who also runs a gymnastic club in Lyari, said that the neighbourhood consists of underprivileged residents who prefer that their children work rather than indulge in other activities.



Sometimes, our parents also stopped us from coming here but soon they started trusting the people of this organisation, remarked Alam, adding that with time the children have become attached to Hasan, who treats them like her own children.

One of the performers’ mothers, Sabiha Manzoor, told The Express Tribune that this event is like a small festival for them. She added that she liked how the children enjoyed it and, at the same time, have learned a lot as well. She shared that initially she was hesitant in sending her child to the centre but now believes that this place has boosted the confidence of all the children.

Talking about the event, Hasan shared that up till now parents were not sure what their children have been learning at Khel Ghar but after the event they were pleasantly surprised and expressed support for it.

Khel Ghar

Talking about the centre, Hasan said that Khel Ghar was built last year in November and soon it attracted the people of the neighbourhood.



The idea of Khel Ghar was formulated after the people working for the NGO realised that the children of the area neither have any space to play nor do they attend schools. She added that they faced no difficulty in setting up this centre and instead were supported by the people of the area.

Hasan said that along with gymnastics they also give art classes to about 130 registered children at the centre. Nonetheless, the doors of Khel Ghar are open to every child - registered or not. We have adopted a specific way of teaching these kids who learn here through recreation activities, she remarked.

Hasan also shared they will soon start a sports session in the evening for the children who are not able to attend it during the day.

Furqan, while commenting on his affiliation with the recreation centre, said that he has been working here since its inception. He also said that on their next show, the team of gymnastics will also include young girls of the area, who are under training currently.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2016.