The students, aged between 18 and 25 years, were among the first batch of the ‘Travelogue Karachi’ programme, an initiative that aims to improve knowledge and awareness among the youth. “These students were not able to read and write in English properly, but today their efforts have made me proud,” said Muhammad Aamir, a freelance trainer and consultant at The School of Writing (TSW).
Karachi Youth Initiative, in collaboration with The School of Writing (TSW), came up with the idea to teach creative writing and photography skills to students from under-privileged areas. Students are not only taught how to ink their feelings on paper, but are also taken to different places in Karachi to feel the essence of the city. “The first programme started on October 10. The journey does not, however, end today,” said the teacher for creative writing, Mohsin Tejani. “All the students will continue to share their stories and also publish them online”.
Reading out his story to the audience, 15-year-old photography and writing student, Kannith Bless, narrated his experience of a terrifying night in the city. Bless has a keen interest in photography and tries to depict his story through pictures. “The programme also taught us how to express ourselves through pictures,” he said.
Another student, Asadullah Shah, who is also preparing for his matriculation examinations, said that he wanted to be a filmmaker and make documentaries on historical places and social issues. “Understanding the angles, frames and composition is just the beginning of a long journey,” said Shah, while talking about what he had learnt in the 75-hour-course.
These students visited several historical places including Mohatta Palace, PAF Museum, Makli graveyard, Empress Market and Nisar Shaheed Park. “My teacher taught me to take a picture that depicts three things: environment, emotion and action. I managed to get all three in a shot at Empress Market,” said Shah.
The students are selected for the course based on the criteria set by ‘Travelogue Karachi’. Initially, volunteers campaigned in Sultanabad and Hijrat Colony to encourage parents to send their children for the programme where they may learn to be creative. The students were then registered and interviewed to gauge their level of interest in the subject. In the end, the team conducted a simple test to examine the capability of each student and where they should be placed within the progamme, said Zafar Iqbal, the programme coordinator of Travelogue Karachi.
“Our survey of various under-privileged areas found that students often had difficulty in expressing their feelings,” explained Tejani. “Hence evolved the idea to teach creative writing to these students.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2014.
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