The workshop was designed to prepare politicians to visit government schools in their constituencies and interact with students and teachers through storytelling. PHOTO: ALIF AILAAN LOGO
A number of elected political representatives from Sindh participated in a lively storytelling workshop on Monday as part of Alif Ailaan's 'Leading through Teaching' project.
Led by author and publisher Musharraf Ali Farooqi, the workshop was designed to prepare politicians to visit government schools in their constituencies and interact with students and teachers through storytelling.
Among the public representatives present at the event were Pakistan Peoples Party's Shehla Raza and Alizeh Iqbal Haider; Muttahida Qaumi Movement's Dr Farooq Sattar, Naila Munir and Naheed Begum; Pakistan Muslim League-Functional's Mehtab Akbar Rashdi; and Pakistan Tekreek-e-Insaf's Dr Seema Zia.
"When we get politicians to go to government schools and engage with children through storytelling, it will not only inspire the students and teachers, but also help bridge the disconnect between policymakers and public schools," said Alif Ailaan's spokesperson Bisma Akbar.
Farooqui engaged the lawmakers through 'Bandar Dhanda', a tale about a scheming monkey while encouraging them to think and behave like the five year olds they would be reading to.
The lawmakers were excited to be in the workshop and took turns to tell stories they had read in school or heard from their parents and grandparents. Sattar even shared a story that he once wrote for his niece. Haider made plans to read stories to children at school in a slum area the next day. Other participants also promised to hold storytelling sessions in schools in their constituencies soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th, 2015.
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