Special Note: PRESS
RELEASE
2ND All
Pakistan Singing & Tableaus Competition
Between Persons with Cross
Disabilities
Report by: Bro. Younis
Walter, OFM
Karachi: On the
occasion of 9th anniversary of Kiran Vocational Centre (KVC) and New
Year 2009, KVC organized “2nd All Pakistan Singing & Tableaus
Competition between Persons with Cross Disabilities on 23, February, 2009
from 4:30 to 10:30 pm on the ground of Christ The King Seminary,
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi. The competition aimed to encourage and
provide an opportunity to special children/adolescents to display their
potentials and talents and to help integrate them in the mainstream society.
Special children/adolescents from different cities participated in the
competition.
Mrs. Nasreen Jalil, Naib Nazim, Karachi graced the occasion as Chief Guest while
Mr. Alison Stephen, Principal Appraiser, Pakistan Customs presided over the
event. Mr. Stephen Peter, MPA (MQM) Sindh Assembly and Incharge, Minorities
Affairs Committee of MQM and Rev. Fr. Moghal Peter, Provincial of Franciscan
Community in Pakistan were the guests of honors.
The special children/adolescents of 48 NGOs working in disability
sector and students of 15 mainstream schools participated in the competition and
presented songs, dances and tableaus.
The winners of the competition were given three category-wise cash
prizes of Rs.10,000/-, Rs.5,000/- and Rs.2,000/- respectively along with
trophies. The cash prizes were equally distributed among the 4 contestants of
the winning group.
Singing competition was for physically
handicapped, slow learners and blind children/adolescents, while mentally
retarded, deaf and mute children participated in the tableaus competition. Only
two students, from each organization, having different nature of
disabilities participated in the competition.
Duration of 6 minutes for song and 10 minutes for
tableaus presentation were given to each participants/NGOs. The performances of
the contestants were evaluated by three independent judges.
The winners in the Tableaus competition were: 1st prize – Imran Rehabilitation Centre, 2nd
prize – Vocational Rehabilitation Centre, Ameenabad, a project of The Agha Khan
Social Welfare Board Pakistan, 3rd prize – Shaheed-e-Millat School
for Special Education, Government of Pakistan. A special prize was given to
Dar-ul-Sukoon.
The winners in the Solo Singing competition were: 1st
prize – Mr. Azeem Ali, Association for the Rehabilitation of Challenging People
(ARCP), 2nd prize – Mr. Sualeh Baloch, Sindh Independent Living
Centre, 3rd prize – Miss. Saba Ahemd, Disabled Welfare Association. A
special prize was given to Mr. Piyare Allah Dino Shah from Sukkur.
During the competition successful students of Annual
Teachers’ Training Program of KVC were awarded certificates and new batch of
trainees was welcomed. The training aimed to impart knowledge and skills in the
Special Education. Appreciation shields were also given to the individuals who
have been helping KVC voluntarily for the last 5 years. A
magical show was also presented by Mr. G.M. Lodhi, Magician.
The event was sponsored and supported by JS Bank, PSO,
Rotary Club, Edhi Foundation, Coco Cola, Choudhary Tents, Association for the
Rehabilitation of Challenging People (ARCP), Minorities Affairs Committee of
MQM, Dar-ul-Sukoon, Disabled Welfare Association, Department of Special
Education of Karachi University, Fr. Augustine Soares, Mrs. Neelam Akhtar & her
friends Mr. Seth Salamat Khokhar, Mr. Kashif Shafiq, Dr. Parvez Yaqoob, Mr.
Rafiq Mughal, Mr. Farrukh Alam, Rev. Fr. Victor John, OFM, Parish Priest of St.
Philips Parish, Mr. Javed Raza of All Saints School, Ms. Grace Bernard, Mr.
Javed Anjum Gill, Mr. Moon Sohail, Ms. Teresa Simon, Mr. Mansoor Alam (MC),
Mariam Akhter (Ring Dance) G.M. Lodhi (Magician) .
About 3,500 men, women and children attended the event. The attendees were
served with soft drinks and meals. The compeer of the event was Mr. Mansoor
Alam.
Since the program ran till late night, the prizes could
not be distributed among the winners. Therefore, prize giving ceremony was
arranged on March 05, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at Franciscan Custos House,
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi. Mr. Alison Stephen, Principal Appraiser, Pakistan
Customs was the Chief Guest while Mr. Stephen Peter, MPA (MQM) Sindh Assembly
and Incharge, Minorities Affairs Committee of MQM presided over the ceremony.
The Heads of the winners’ organizations and winners of the competition attended
the ceremony. The winners were appreciated for their performances. In their
remarks the winners expressed their joy on participating in and winning the
prizes. They thanked KVC and Bro. Younis Walter, OFM for arranging the
competition. Mr. Nooruddin S. Bhamani, President, Awareness Pakistan highly
applauded the services of Mrs. Imrana Sohail, Directress, KVC and Bro. Younis
Walter, OFM, Project Officer, KVC and gave them an appreciation momento.
Bro. Younis Walter, OFM
Program Organizer & Project Officer,
KVC, Karachi
