Pakistan

As a tribute to the courage of Malala Yousufzai and her two friends, Shazia and Kainat, IBBY Pakistan is setting up a library in their school in Swat. 

IBBY Pakistan was involved in the first ever Children’s Literature Festival to promote children's literature and a love for reading, held in Lahore in November 2011. The Sheikhupura Reading Festival had similar goals and offered story telling sessions, interactive workshops, reading and writing competitions, puppet shows and various art and craft activities kept the children enthralled.

IBBY Pakistan was part of the team that prepared a core list of library book titles, suggested by experts for early childhood, primary, secondary and high school as well as recommended reference books for children.  The list will benefit organizations and schools interested in setting up their own libraries, as well as individuals interested in setting up/donating library books.

Alif Laila was also invited to take part in the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in 2011. The organization was invited to share its commitment. Alif Laila’s commitment was to develop and promote a reading culture in district Sheikhupura, through its model library programme and advocacy/media campaign.

With support from the IBBY-Yamada Fund, four selected madrassas were provided with books and library shelves to set up small libraries in their precincts.. Books were selected carefully so that they could promote a better understanding of cultures and different peoples for a more tolerant culture in the madaris. A library schedule was developed allowing children of all classes some regular time for reading as well as borrowing books from the library.

Skype sessions have been started at the library to connect children in Pakistan to children’s writers all over the world, introducing them to new genres of writing and stories from different regions and cultures.

IBBY Pakistan  furthers the cause  of children’s libraries and reading on many government forums and committees and enjoys working with many IBBY sections  and the IBBY Secretariat in Basel.

The Chief Minister of the Punjab invited Basarat Kazim, president of IBBY Pakistan, for a meeting where they spoke in great detail about the work that the Alif Laila Book Bus Society has been doing to promote reading, as well as setting up and advocating the role of libraries and producing books for children.

He was impressed by Basarat's dedication and told the Deputy Secretary, who was the only other person in the meeting that, "she is very passionate about libraries". 

In a recent meeting, which he chaired, he told the participants of the meeting, "We cannot achieve any of the goals we have set ourselves unless we invest in libraries".  He put his sentiment into action and asked Baserat to design and set up libraries in 73 Centres of Excellence (current schools that are being improved and new facilities added), 12 Daanish Schools (state of the art schools that are being set up in disadvantaged areas to cater to the lowest income groups) and a whole new library in Murree (just north of Islamabad). The Education District Officer is arranging a further meeting with her very soon to discuss libraries in primary schools – possibly 300 of them!

Immediately after the devastating earthquake of 8 October 2005, which razed countless homes in Muzaffarabad and Bagh, the Alif Laila team went to Muzaffarabad and began the job of collecting and distributing relief goods – mainly tents and jackets. They returned to Lahore and Islamabad and visited women and children who had been moved to hospitals there from the disaster area.

After the disaster some distressed families moved to Islamabad from Muzaffarabad and Bagh and the Al Makhtaum Centre became home to 16 families and 59 children; including three children who were severely injured in the earthquake. The residents are currently enrolled in the Safe Play Area set up by Save the Children UK, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of Pakistan. SCFUK is working on developing a very comprehensive package to cater to the psychosocial needs of these displaced children who continue to suffer from the trauma of shock and homelessness. A psychologist is already available to assess the needs of these children and engage them in group therapy. Alif Laila has been approached by SCFUK to give expert contributions for the ECE and catch-up education schemes for these children who will eventually return to their homes and schools. The Alif Laila team has also helped to paint the Safe Play Area for the children.

In addition members of Alif Laila are working on the development of art, craft and puppet kits. These artistic and creative activities were designed to occupy the children affected by the earthquake encouraging them to smile again, thus making their makeshift schools transformed into happier places. Alif Laila was also invited to train field coordinators in the use of the materials for a UNICEF, SCFUK project that will run in 180 schools in Muzaffarabad and Bagh. The team visited Muzaffarabad on the 21st and 22nd of November in this regard. While there they conducted two sessions: one with the trainees and another with the children who attended one of the tent schools. They reported that it was very rewarding to see the children laughing, talking eagerly and actively involved in the proffered art activities. One child questioned a little fearfully “Are you here to vaccinate us?” When told “Yes. With a potent injection of laughter, enjoyment, and fun,” he and his friends burst into smiles.

One mother tried to push her child into the tent. The child was frightened and started to cry, but once she saw the atmosphere in school she sat happily and remarked to her mother once the activities were over: “I passed!”

The resilience of the people who have lost everything is amazing. The earthquake has taken away their homes and loved ones, but mercifully not killed their spirit. They now start to pick up the threads of life and begin anew.