Gogi promotes art for activism in education

Islamabad : There was a long queue of applicants with their vehicles to collect free books for their welfare schools; they included women running garage schools, as well as those teaching children in shanty schools, community schools, and schools running on string budgets. These books were given as gifts by Nigar Nazar, founder of Gogi Studios, for children who have probably never held a glossy colourful picture book.

Gogi Studios presented a set of 7 Gogi books as a free gift for every child to mark Independence Day. “We are proud to say that our books went from one end of Pakistan i.e., Gilgit-Baltistan, to the desert of Badin. In all, these books will touch the lives of about 40,000 children and if shared by friends, neighbours and relatives, the number will be way bigger,” Nigar stated.

Gogi Studios has testimonials from children regarding these books, such as the village girl who went back to school after reading the book on girls’ education. “Your book changed my life; my parents have sent me back to school,” Tahira wrote to Nigar. Another book ‘The Garbage Monster,’ is an all-time popular book which merited thesis by Quaid-e-Azam University for their Centre of Excellence on Child Psychology. The jury, comprising an American software house requested Nigar for copyrights of her colourful pictures for getting children to write the story in other languages.

Nigar expressed happiness over having accomplished the task with the support of the Society for Tolerance Environment and Education through Recreation (STEER). The Garage School, Karachi; Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi; Qalam School, Islamabad; Kausar School, Badeen; Bunyad Foundation, Punjab; Teach for Pakistan, Sindh; Community Organization, Hunza; Teach for Pakistan, Punjab; Pamir Public School, Chitral; Pakistan Baccularate School System and College, Gilgit; Master Ayub Park School, Islamabad; Behashte Mustufa, Islamabad; Zaboor Educational System, Islamabad; and orphan kids in Rawalpindi will benefit from the books.