Alif Ailaan brings politicians together for storytelling workshop

Islamabad
MNAs from across the country participated in a lively storytelling workshop. The event was part of education campaign Alif Ailaan’s leading through teaching project, designed to prepare politicians to visit government schools in their constituencies and interact with students and teachers through storytelling.
Author and publisher Musharraf Ali Farooqi of Kitab led the workshop, engaging parliamentarians through ‘Moochhander Ki Nirali Moonchhain’, a curious tale about a circus performer whose moustaches come to his rescue when he has lost all hope. The politicians were encouraged to think and behave like the 5-year-olds they would be reading the story to later, making the session enjoyable for all involved. 10 MNAs from the Young Parliamentarians Forum participated in the workshop.
Among the public representatives present were Maiza Hameed (PML-N), Rehan Hashmi (MQM), Zain Elahi (Indp), Uzair Khan (PML-N), Nafisa Shah (PPP), Romina Khursheed Alam (PML-N), Imran Leghari (PPP), Choudhry Shahbaz Babar (PML-N), Naeema Kishwar Khan (JUI-F) and Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju (PML-N). The young MNAs participated eagerly in the workshop and took turns telling the stories they remembered best from childhood and school.
They promised to revive the love of learning through storytelling by promising to visit government schools in their respective constituencies in Rahimyar Khan, Karachi, Attock, Khushab, Khairpur, Gujranwala, Dadu, Faisalabad, Mardan and Lodhran. MNAs Rehan Hashmi and Maiza Hameed, committed to visiting a government school in their constituencies as soon as the new term begins in April next week. “When we get politicians into government schools to engage with children through storytelling, it will not only inspire the students and teachers, but also help bridge the disconnect between policymakers and public schools,” said an Alif Ailaan representative at the event.
The storytelling workshop was followed by a briefing on education issues, specially related to the upcoming budget, where Alif Ailaan Campaign Director Mosharraf Zaidi urged the young parliamentarians to advocate for greater and better spending on education. “Pakistan spends less on education, as a percentage of its GDP, than most countries in the world,” said Mr Zaidi, calling upon the young leaders to work collectively to ensure that education spending is increased to 4% of GDP this financial year. “For two consecutive budgets, this government has neither helped the provinces substantially increase the quantity of spending nor has it enabled them to improve the efficiency of the existing allocated expenditure,” he added.