Amai in Peshawar Children's Literature Festival

Fauzia Minallah’s book ‘Amai and the Banyan Tree’ was declared the winner of Khalqiya Award 2012 for Children Literature promoting environment protection

Funkor Childart Center participated in the two-day Children’s Literature Festival held at Islamia Collegiate School with the aim to promote cultural and educational activities among the children of this conflict ridden city. The festival was arranged with the collaboration of Oxford University Press , Idara Barai Taleem o Agehi ITA and Bacha Khan Education Foundation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa . Festival was inaugurated by Provincial Minister for Higher Education Qazi Assad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Environment Wajid Ali Khan. Vice Chancellor of Islamia College University Dr Noor Jehan and Principal of Islamia Colligate were also present on the occasion. Fauzia Minallah’s animated tribute ‘ Malala and Amai’ was shown to an audience of nearly 3000 children at the inauguration.

At the Funkor’s stall, Fauzia Minallah’s books were displayed and a large mural ‘Malala and her Friends’ was painted by children. Children from schools in Peshawar painted the mural as well as from far off areas such as Swabi, Kabal in Swat and Landikotal in FATA. Fauzia started the mural by a sketch of Malala holding books while students drew the children with the help of stencils and painting the uniform of their schools. Some of the children who actively participated in the painting session were Riaz , Waqas, and Sohaib from Govt Higher Secondary School Kaba, Swat , Humaira Jahan, Khuzaima, Muddasir, Farya, Hira, of Daffodils Schooling System Nowshera Cantt , Mamarha Afridi, Jamaina Afridi of Bacha Khan School Landi Kotal , Zaina, Shaheera, Mahsheed of Peshawar Model School, Aqib, Wahid Ullah, Imran, M. Shahzad, Haroon Zaib, of Government Model School Palwaray Athozay Peshawar , Fawad, Khausa Shaw Nawaz, Alina Pehman, Zahra Sultana, Hafsa, Fathma Khalid, Nazia, Nadia Khalid of G.I.K.I School and Collage Topi Swabi , Mouzim Hussain, Islamic Collage and School and several Islamia University students, Iqra Minhajul Quran students also participated.
Fauzia Minallah’s book ‘Amai and the Banyan Tree’ was declared the winner of Khalqiya Award 2012 for Children Literature promoting environment protection. Kudos to ITA and OUP for organising such colourful activities for children living in cities ridden with conflict.

Mural 'Malala and Friends'

Amai - The Bird of Light Animation' is the Winner at the GJC 2012

Fauzia Minallah with the medal for her project 'Amai - The Bird of Light'

The sixth edition of the Global Junior Challenge The Global Junior Challenge is the international competition that rewards the innovative use of technology for the education of 21st century and the social inclusion. Promoted by the Municipality of Rome the GJC is hosted every two years by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ( Foundation of Digital World),  under the High Patronage of the Italian Presidency and the sponsorship of the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister. The GJC is a unique opportunity to reflect on the importance of the challenges posed by 21st century education and the role of technology in didactic innovation, social innnovation, development and the reduction of world poverty. This year there will also be other special categories, a novelty for the 2012 edition: “ICT for the integration of migrants and refugees” in collaboration with the United Nations Alliance Civilization (UNAOC), “ICT for sustainable environmental development” in partnership with Legambiente. 

The final event of the Global Junior Challenge 2012 was held in Rome (Italy) from October 17-19, 2012. The programme included various activities held in different locations:Exhibition at the Primary school Don Gioacchino Rey, Presentations at Città Educativa di Roma ( Education City of Rome the new seat of Fondazione Mondo Digitale) . The prestigious awards were presented in the Giulius Ceaser Hall of the Campidoglio, Rome’s City Hall..
Amai the Bird of Light Animated stories promoting Multiculturalism and Peace was the winner and Fauzia Minallah recieved the medal from the City of Rome.

Presentation at The Foundation for Digital World 

Sadako's Prayer in Pashto -EHD Foundation School no. 2

On 25th Funkor Child Art Center representative visited EHD Foundation school
Katchi Abadi I-11/4 Near Shell Petrol Pump Islamabad.
Ahmed Faraz distributed 23 "Sadako's Prayer" in Pashto, Children wrote
their point of view about “Sadako's Prayer”.
Nahida 9 years

“Amai” is very nice Seema and Ali also. We should save our
lives from Atom bomb as we know the result how dangerous it is.
Pakistan Zindabad.
Ameena 10 years
It is a very good story we know a lot of information. And also
Atom bomb is very dangerous. It can destroy the whole world. We should be
safe from it. 14 lack people died in Hiroshima.

Shazia 11 years
It is very good story and every one should read it. We got to know about Seema Ali and the bird of light “Amai”. We
should be safe from the danger of Atom bomb and we care for all human beings.

Hayat Ul Allah 10 years
Atom bomb is very dangerous we should not use it. If an
Atomic bomb is dropped on our country it will damage a lot and disease
will spread every where. We should make our county better and work hard for it.

Waqas Khan 11 years
I realized that Atom bomb is very dangerous. If it
is dropped any where nothing can survive that is why it is very dangerous.
After its blast living things died and black smoke was all around the city.

Mohammad Hussain
We know in this lesson “Amai” a bird a great bird which can take
away children to visit, many places. Amai loves children a lot. Amai loves Seema and
Ali one day Amai took them in past and told them about a Japanese girl
Sadako.
Specially thanks for Fauzia Minallah.

Sadako's Prayer in Pashto -EHD Foundation School

On 27th Funkor Child Art Center reprsentative visited EHD Foundation
School no.2 in I-11/ shanty town.
Ahmed Faraz distributed Sadako’s story books in Pashto and
English text. Then he read story to them them some two students wrote their impressions:
Saira Parveen 11 years said:

“Amai is a beautiful bird and Seema and Ali are her best friends.Amai took Seema and Ali on adventures. Sadako was a Japanese girl.
Enemies' plane threw thousand bombs on their cities. When they dropped an Atom bomb on Hiroshima the Sky turned from blue to black. The people were blinded by the light. The rivers were filled with dead bodies. Sadako Mother thanked to God when she found her children fine. People were homeless. After Atom bomb days later its radiation caused disease . Many people became sick and many died. Sadako saw her relatives were dying when they had Atomic disease she did not want to die. She was very hopeful she would live. She started work and made paper cranes so that her wish would come too. Sadly she also died from Atomic bomb disease like other people or children. But Every year people come to the monument of Sadako’s and prays for peace and harmony
and they wish free atomic world and war.

Saira BiBi 13 years
Amai took Seema and Ali to the city of Japan. She told Sadako’s
story which is a victim of an atomic bomb, Atomic bomb is very
dangerous. How the world looks beautiful if all the bombs and specially the Atom
bombs are wiped out from the world.There will be peace then and when it is peace, Flower will be full of petals, more
tree will be planted, Honey bees provide more honey. people should not fight
war is not good. They should do hard work and live with peace.It was
August 1945 an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima it destroyed the
whole city and the houses of Hiroshima’s people. In the end of war
they were not hopeless they started developing their city rather take
any revenge . Some time wishes do not come true as we want
but it comes true in and other shape as Sadako could not survive but
people still goes every year to the Peace Monument of Sadako and pray for
peace.

Pashto Book Reading session of 'Sadako's Prayer'

On 20th June Funkor Child Art Center team visited Mehmooda Bagum
Memorial EHD School Maskeen Abad I-11/4 Islamabad for book reading
session "Sadako’s Prayers” in Pashto language. All the children in this
school belong to Pashtoon’s community mainly refugees from Bajaur and Mohmand agencies. While the meduim of education is Urdu, some of them were able to
read Pashto as well. They were in two s

eperate groups of girls and boys.
A 9 th grade,student Khalil Ul Allah who studied in a Pashto medium school in Peshawar
read the story to them. After reading
we asked their point of view.
Khalil Ul Allah 12 , said he specially like the story with sketches
which elaborate the theme. Atomic bombs are very dangerous .Hiroshima is an
example where thousands of people died due to this bomb, it should be banned.
11 year old Nadia told us, she and her friends doesn’t like war. War causes
destruction has it has destroyed our homes in Bajaur. I want peace all over the world.
Sarguna 12, said that Sadako gives courage to us,
although she could not survive from the atom bomb disease but she became
a symbol of peace for the world.
Sadia 11, Said if their is peace people spend their resources on
developing schools and hospitals. There will be more Trees, fields will provide more
crops, honey bees will give more honey and birds sing songs in the sky.
Adnan and Inam both said it a meaningful story and it is about peace.

School teacher appreciated our visit we also gave them Sadako's
prayer in Urdu.
In reading there was pin drop silence all of them were attentive while listing.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki Days

On 9th August Funkor child art team visited Non Formal basic
Education School in Bari Imam.
To commemorate Hiroshima and Nagasaki Days we distributed 55 picture books of "Sadako’s payer".
Ahmed Faraz read the story and asked them about their views
Iqra 12 said Atom bomb is not good it caused destruction in Hiroshima.

Qinza 10 said Sadako died but she did not lose hope for living.
Safya 12 said Amai is a nice and beautiful bird only good
children can see her, she takes her for visits.

Imtiyaz 11 said Hiroshima people did not spend money against
their enemy for revenge, they used it for better life of their people.
They painted a mural in the memory of the victims of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and
against wars and Atom bombs.
Teacher Shamroze appreciated our visit and requested for more visits
she specially thanked Funkor child Art center team