Right to Play: Students of Lyari, Sultanabad celebrate independence

The performances included skits, dances and a question/answer session.

KARACHI:

The courtyard of the Government Boys Primary School MAO Sultanabad wore a pleasant look on Saturday as the interior of the school building was adorned with Pakistani flags and national songs resonated in the background.

Children from all age-groups excitedly gathered at the playground - some wearing their school uniforms while others clothed in more conventional attire, such as shalwar kameez and a Sindhi cap. The event was organised by the non-governmental organisation, Right to Play, to mark the country’s 67th Independence Day.

The schoolchildren, accompanied by their parents, zealously participated in the day-long activities which included singing national songs, games and a question-answer session which was followed by a prize distribution ceremony.

Rashid Gul, a community leader and head master of a government school in Sultanabad, was the chief guest at the occasion. In his address, Gul shed light on the importance of independence and asked the students to do their utmost for the development of their country. “You are the future of this country,” he said to the children. “The country is passing through a time of crisis and you have to play your part by removing all the hurdles from its path of development,” he said. Gul extended his gratitude to the staff of RTP and the participants for giving the students a chance to see education in a new light.

Children from Lyari and Sultanabad, who were trained by the RTP in a five-day summer camp prior to the event, performed national songs.

The highlight of the event was the question/ answer session in which the children were asked questions relating to Pakistan’s history. The session proved to be highly entertaining as several amusing answers came forward. The children bore confused looks when the host quizzed them regarding the real name of ‘Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’. Some of the answers that were put forward were, “Rahmatullah Aleh” and “Fayyaz Ahmed”. On the other hand, almost all the children raised their hands in response to the question, “Who has hit the most sixes in cricket?”



Following the session, the attendees enjoyed a performance by a theatre group from Lyari Youth Café, which divulged a message of peace and unity to the youth. The group also performed dances on national and pop songs. Grade nine student, Zaid Afshari of the Lyari Youth Café, who performed alongside co-dancers Zahid Ali and Anis Mohammad, said “We practiced the moves by watching videos on the internet and added some of our own moves as well.”

Zahid Ali expressed his gratitude to the students of Sultanabad schools “for watching our performance patiently and giving us a warm welcome.”

Lyari meets Sultanabad

“Lyari is not considered a normal place for living anymore. The term ‘Gang War’ has overshadowed the vibrancy of Lyari’s multi-talented people,” said Mohammad Fahim, a trainer of the RTP who also works in the administration of the Youth Café. “We want to spread the message that Lyari is a huge town which is home to people from all walks of life. Our Youth Café does not discriminate on the basis of colour, class, sect and religion. Everyone is welcome.”

For Farzana Mumtaz, a resident of Sultanabad, the event was the first of its kind in which the children of the area had participated. “I came here with my friend and was pleasantly surprised to see the talents of our students. It was amazing to see the children of Lyari performing to the beat of the music which was something I had never witnessed before,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2013.