Multiple artists are attached to philanthropic activities. Instep lists down three of them.
This year saw quite a few celebrities lending their whole hearted support to social causes, which not only adds strength to the initiatives but also plays an important role in spreading awareness regarding certain issues like education, health, etc. Usually celebrity endorsements have an impact over people and this is why most artists and celebs take active part to influence more and more people.
Though there are various artists/actors that are associated with some kind of philanthropic activity, there are a few that have devoted considerable time to a certain cause and definitely stand out for going the extra mile. Instep gives you a lowdown on three actors who are part of different programs.
Aamina Sheikh
Aamina Sheikh is one actor who is quite vocal about women empowerment and this is also evident in the kind of characters she portrays on screen. In order to promote girls’ education, Aamina joined hands with PAGE – Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education – as their global brand ambassador a few months ago. PAGE’s mission is to focus on educating those one million out-of-school children in a span of three years approximately.
In an earlier interview with Instep, the actress revealed that after going through the statistics and doing research, she decided to become the global ambassador for girls’ education. She said, “The kind of voice we have as actors, as public figures, we have that influence and a connection with our audience. So why not use that for a higher purpose? It totally makes sense to be an ambassador of change.”
Aamina, who has a young daughter, has recently associated herself with the ‘Meri Awaz’ campaign too that aims to equip girls to combat societal noise of body shaming and self-doubt; providing children a healthy, sane and safe environment to grow up in.
Mahira Khan
Superstar Mahira Khan, who recently bagged the fourth position on Eastern Eye’s ‘50 Sexiest Asian Women’, joined hands with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Pakistan (UNHCR) earlier this year. The actress visited the Afghan refugee camp in Karachi as part of the initiative, which guards the rights of Afghan refugees and helps in relocating them to Afghanistan. Moreover, Mahira also visited the Afghan refugee camp in Peshawar in September.
“I’m proud to say that my country is one of the most generous countries in the world. The Government and people of Pakistan – with the support of the international community – have been generously hosting Afghan refugees for nearly forty years,” she earlier shared on her social media handles and stressed on how important it is to care for these refugees as more than half of them are kids, many of whom came without their mothers or fathers. “They are our future, every child in the world is. No one chooses to be a refugee. No one chooses to leave their home,” noted Mahira.
Sarwat Gilani
A beautiful as well as intelligent actor, Sarwat Gilani too is a strong advocate of social causes, and likes doing things that give her the opportunity to give something back to society. She is the ambassador of Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP) and deals with a lot of special children with intellectual disabilities and second phase physical disability. According to Sarwat, these children go through a lot of training in the regional sector and then move on to the national level before going to international arena. It is soulful and meaningful, and she believes that as artists it is their responsibility at some point to give back to the country which has given them so much fame and respect. Apart from that, Sarwat was also in support of the ‘Meri Awaz’ campaign, which stresses on shutting societal noise. She was part of the panel discussion that included the likes of Samina Peerzada, Nadia Hussain and others at the launch of the nationwide campaign earlier this year.
