KARACHI: With beaming smiles on their faces, around 300 children in the Pakistani port city of Karachi sat in long lines along a narrow street festooned with lights, bunting, and banners waiting to enjoy a meal of biryani and rice pudding arranged by a local charity.
The communal children’s street iftar gatherings in the impoverished, crime-ridden Lyari neighborhood, are run twice weekly by the Faryal Kamran Initiative in collaboration with Lyari-based welfare organizations Dreams of Youth, and the Kiran Foundation.
The iftar program, which takes place on what has been dubbed Dream Street, was launched last year in Lyari’s Block-C, and is held every Tuesday and Thursday during Ramadan.
Up to 300 children are invited, based on tokens distributed to households in the vicinity according to the number of kids in each home, Kamran told Arab News.
Around 100 of the children also support Kamran and her team with the arrangements, blocking off the street near sunset, and only letting children with tokens enter and settle on the dastarkhwan, or floor spread.
Kamran said: “We saw the conditions here and how the children were deprived of so many things.
A communal iftar meal is held for street children in the Lyari neighbourhood of Karachi, Pakistan, on March 25, 2023 (Sabina Khatri/Facebook)
“So, we had the idea of setting up an iftar on the road ... I wanted to spend some time with these kids and give them the festive feeling of Ramadan.”
In Pakistan, evening street meals are widely organized by charities for the poor, while others, similar to the one in Lyari, are run by local communities which pool food donations.
FASTFACT
The communal children’s street iftar gatherings in the impoverished, crime-ridden Lyari neighborhood, are run twice weekly by the Faryal Kamran Initiative in collaboration with Lyari-based welfare organizations Dreams of Youth, and the Kiran Foundation.
Kamran sought the help of local organizations and volunteers to launch the initiative, especially the task of decorating the streets.
“First of all, we painted and renovated the streets. We got them cleaned and then we put out the dastarkhwan.
“The main purpose was to add colors, to bring happiness to the children for all of Ramadan. The lights and decor keep hanging here. So, whenever the kids walk by this street, they smile, and Ramadan is memorable for them,” she added.
This year, she noted, several confectionaries were supporting the project by providing gifts, biscuits, and goodie bags for children, and a different menu was offered every day which included burgers, cupcakes, rice, and juices.
Unaisa Bibi, a fourth-grader, told Arab News: “We come here for iftar. We have rice, biryani, kheer (rice pudding), and we have it with the kids.”
One of the children, Nashra, said the program gave her the opportunity to make new friends. “I have come to play with friends. I really like it with my friends here.”
Javeria Rauf, a high school student who helps with serving meals, said seeing the children happy filled her with gratitude.
“They come here full of energy. They are excited about what the meal will be. They are full of hope … The colorful cupcakes, when the children see that, they are so happy.”
Sabeer Ahmed, the founder of the Dreams of Youth welfare society, said: “We all are divided within Karachi, in different partitions. Events like this bring everyone together irrespective of caste and color.
“It’s not just the kids, their families are also involved in this with them. This is where we spread happiness and tell everyone to come together.”
Kamran said that next year they planned to provide iftar meals for children in other neighborhoods.
“We are thinking of expanding to more streets right now and get them painted, renovated, and make them as colorful as possible.”
