I Know Of A Better Karachi

Nowadays whenever we turn on the TV, we hear news about a bomb blast resulting in a huge number of casualties. If not that then news of a brutal murder, rape, target killing etc occupies the headlines. In addition to that, to make things worse, the media supplies us with pictures and videos of people dying, writhing in pain and dismembered body parts scattered around in the aftermath of a blast.

This is one of the reasons I have turned my back on television and have resorted to a place of writing and reading where I get to read the news that only covers the pertinent information and no drama is added to the content. This medium makes the news more bearable for me compared to TV.

Where all seems so dark in a country like ours, where everyone thinks that we are doomed and maybe Karachi is going to end up like Kabul or Baghdad. Very few know how open-hearted the youth in this city is. I recently got to meet with some interesting people in a bloggers meet up at T2f. And I must say; the people inspired me a lot. Not only because they had great personalities but also because of the kind of work they do, and I can bet that their efforts are unparalleled.

This article is dedicated to all those people who think the situation in this city is comparable to war, to those who plan to move abroad, to those who think we are barbaric and to those who are dying to hear about something else besides a bomb blast or a robbery that happened in Karachi.

Firstly, before the meeting, I never knew that an organization, which goes by the name “Youth Empowerment and Leadership Program” (YELP), works in Karachi. YELP’s sole aim is to engage the youth in high risk areas (rural areas), to run clubs and raise awareness among peers. Their goal is to educate the people from blast-affected areas and bring them back to normal life by trying to remove the stress and psychological trauma left by acts of violence. They do so by teaching these people living aesthetics, the importance of family gatherings, coaching them in games and sports and creating awareness about peace, diversity and tolerance among people living there. For people who love visiting T2f, you’ll be pleased to know that such a model exists in Korangi too, all designed to accommodate the people in these areas.

Secondly, women’s empowerment in Pakistan has begun on a much larger scale than before. I got a pair of these beautiful khussas which were designed and produced by women in Chitral. Certain NGO’s are working primarily for empowering women further. Because they believe that empowering women is an integral part of the social and economic growth of a nation. The work that women from these areas are capable of doing is worthy of a lot of praise.

While daily businesses suffer in our corner of the country, there is an overall growth in entrepreneurial endeavors. A company recently came to Karachi; it works on the principle of bringing successful businesses from all over the world to developing countries. And in no time they have established their operations successfully. One of their projects is foodpanda.pk, basically they deliver food straight to you, as quickly as possible, no matter what your location is. They take no extra fees or delivery charges and have some great economic deals. I’ve tried their service myself and their response was prompt and more than satisfactory! If you are a foodie like me, you should get their smart phone app. Trust me this application will not only help you in the country for ordering food, it works abroad too. Since our country takes its food very seriously this is something that always serves to take their minds off the violence and stress that the media creates.

My sole purpose for writing this article and sharing my thoughts is that the election season is here and we are all cautious and wary. When all else seems to fade away, think of how warm-hearted, educated and creative the people living in Karachi are, and how they only struggle to make our lives a bit better.

Keep calm and be glad.