Based on true story, ‘19: A Shattered Dream’staged in capital

Islamabad
The Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation (KKAWF), headed by Cristina von Sperling Afridi, presented a play -- ‘19: A Shattered Dream’ written by S Mushfiq Murshed and directed by Huma and Farooq Beg -- to a packed house at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) auditorium here on Tuesday.
The event was attended by dignitaries, teachers, students, parents and ‘change-makers’ of society.
The KKAWF is a non-profit organisation working on drug awareness among teens of Pakistan. It intends to serve as a forum for exchange of ideas with the goal to engage organisations and communities at all levels in drafting effective policies on drug awareness and substance abuse. The founder, Cristina von Sperling Afridi, is the mother of late Karim Khan Afridi (19 years old at the time of his death). His death drove her to take on this battle and create awareness among parents, educationists and communities at large.
In line with the foundation’s goal of educating teenagers in Pakistan about drug use, the first project of KKAWF, ‘19: A Shattered Dream,’ is based on true events from the lives of former ambassador Tariq Afridi, his wife Cristina von Sperling Afridi, and their 19-year-old son. The play portrays the anguish of a mother and father who have lost their son, Shero, to drugs. Shero, like any other boy, has prospects for a bright future ahead, until the day he suddenly and abruptly is no more. The emotional play performance, which ran for a little over an hour, features debutante actors who managed to capture and retain the audience’s attention throughout, with a few tears being also shed by the audience at the end. The part of Shero is played by talented young actor Wali Ahmed, whereas Shero’s mother is played by Irum Rehman. Young rapper Mikail Murshed skilfully rapped his dedication to his late friend Karim Khan during the play.
The heart of ‘19: A Shattered Dream’ lies in its theme of kids who make mistakes but at the end of the day just need someone to understand them, and in its moving portrait of drama as a means of giving voice, purpose and a sense of responsibility to those who can make a change. “We can no longer close our eyes and pray in a world of uncertainties. We must protect our children,” says Cristina Afridi. “Drug abuse has reached menacing proportions due to continued negligence,” reiterates playwright S. Mushfiq Murshed.
The ‘19: A Shattered Dream’ will be performed at PNCA till September 3 (today) specifically for students. It will also be performed in other major cities of Pakistan in the coming weeks. It will be translated into Urdu to reach a wider audience. In addition, a film version of the play will be circulated nationwide in both public and private schools.
The mission of KKAWF is to disseminate knowledge on the adverse effects of drug abuse on individuals, the family and society at large; to break the taboos that exist around drug abuse and enable people to reach out for help. The foundation aims to play a role of a catalyst for the youth and the communities they live in, by engaging federal and provincial governments to take up the task through policy making on drug production, prevention and use. KKAWF aims to develop its strategies revolving around the four pillars it has identified, which are: Drug Awareness, Environment, Sports and Civic Sense. Recognizing the sensitive nature of the issue the foundation will bring communities together and engage experts in this field. The team is in the process of involving subject matter experts to bring together their expertise into KKAWF programmes, research & evaluation and communications.