Ali takes on philanthropy

Singer-actor funds education for 50 underprivileged children

KARACHI: Pakistani actor Ali Zafar who recently starred in Shaad Ali’s movie Kill Dil alongside Bollywood actors Raveer Singh, Govinda and Parineeti Chopra, hosted a special screening last weekend for 50 students from Sanjan Nagar, a school for underprivileged students, according to a press release.

The school was awarded the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IBPYP) status on October 20 this year, making it the sixth overall IB campus in the country and the second one at primary level with 700 students.

At the occasion, the actor shared that the school provides quality education to underprivileged students at a highly subsidized fee charging Rs1,000 per month, while other schools charged Rs35,000 to Rs5,0000 per month in addition to other costs. “I am delighted to extend my support to this worthy cause by announcing scholarships for 50 students at higher secondary level, which will hopefully enable them to not only get their high school diploma but will give them a chance to pursue a more productive and qualitatively better life,” Ali said.

“I would like to encourage others as well to visit the Sanjan Nagar campus and see the fruits of the labour, generosity and commitment of the patron, trustees, school management and other friends and supporters who have made this possible,” the actor said.

“We have a habit of asking God to give us things we desire and when He does, we forget. I don’t want to do that. Hence, I am taking the responsibility for the education of 50 children who will support 50 families. I would urge everybody who has been given a higher status by God to do as much as they can for more children from Sanjan Nagar or wherever they can find underprivileged children. They are our future. It is upon us to secure it,” Ali said.

Responding to a question about his latest film, Ali said, “Let this occasion be for these kids and not me. I get the spotlight all the time, let the spotlight be on them and this cause. The reason for all this is to inspire and motivate more people to give back to society.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2014.

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