As part of our “Right to Play” strand of work, on 21st April 2018 we supported a special Sports Day event for over 400 children and parents from the urban slums of Islamabad. These are communities served by our partner, the Pehli Kiran School System, a network of open-air, non-formal schools in settlements across the city. They cater to nearly 1800 refugee or migrant children who often have to choose between work and education, and face a range of risks on the streets.
It was a day filled with colour and joy, as each of the eight schools chose a different colour to represent themselves. Hajra Khan, captain of the national women’s football team, was present as Chief Guest and helped distribute prizes. She represented a positive female role model for the boys and girls who participated with equal enthusiasm. Competition was tough, but the red team – Pehli Kiran School No. 8 – took away the trophy for the overall tournament.
The Sports Day was not only an opportunity for the children to showcase their talents and to proudly represent their schools but was also a chance to develop qualities like discipline and sportsman’s spirit. In addition, for the schools, it was a way of increasing engagement with the communities: both mothers and fathers were invited to participate in the games, and to help with organising the distribution of refreshments as well as the “clean-up” zone.
One of the games for the mothers was “Getting Ready for School,” which involved a simulated race against time to get their children ready for the day. This worked towards one overall aim of the event, which was to increase motivation for communities to continue sending their children to school.
Looking around at the happy faces, music and festivity, one of the participating mothers couldn’t hold back a smile.
“My heart is bursting with happiness at this sight,” she said.
We believe that “happy memories build resilience” for young people who otherwise face hardships that force them to make adult decisions far too early. Ultimately, the Sports Day was one in which community volunteers, students, teachers and parents were all brought together for a rare and memorable shared experience.
NB: We would like to particularly acknowledge the support of volunteers from Right to Play Pakistan, who gave generously of their time and created the video above.