Written by: Sadaf Shahzad
Posted on: June 01, 2021 | 
| 中文
A Storytime Session in Gilgit-Baltistan with Digi Kutub Khanay (photo credits to CLF)
For the next few days, the city of Gilgit will be filled with riveting discussions and wholesome activities, as the latest itineration of the Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF) travels to the Northern Areas. The festival will take place from 1st to 3rd June at the Fatima Jinnah Government Degree College for Women in Gilgit. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating & Preserving the Multicultural Heritage & Eco Diversity of Gilgit-Baltistan’.
The festival will be organized by Idaara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA) alongside the GB Education Department, and supported by the British Council, State Bank of Pakistan, Serena Hotels, Oxford University Press and many other organizations.
CLF Kitab Gari having an arts and crafts session with girls from the Home for Destitute Children
The festival comes under the Children’s Literature Festival (CLF) program, the country’s first national-level learning program which collaborates with civil society organizations, private partners, foundations and developmental partners. Since its creation in 2011, CLF has completed 72 events across 25 districts of the country, and has reached over 1.6 million teachers and students. The first PLF took place in February 2021 in the country’s major cities, and was received very well.
CLF is a series of cultural events founded by the CEO of ITA Baela Raza Jamil, along with Ameena Saiyid, who has helped pioneer literature festivals in Pakistan and is currently the Founder Director of the Adab Festival. It aims to promote a culture of learning, creativity, imagination and multi-sensory stimulation to promote a fun yet educational experience for children.
Ameena Saiyid and Baela Raza Jamil
This particular itineration welcomes children back to school, while the country recovers from the third wave of the pandemic. Educational practices have been greatly impacted by lockdown and remote learning, especially affecting remote parts of the country. PLF is attempting to connect parents, children and teachers with experts and resources to create effective and accelerated strategies for learning and resilience in uncertain times. It reaches out to both private and public schools as well as vulnerable communities, targeting the students of 4-18 years’ age bracket.
Hosting the event in Gilgit-Baltistan for the first time is special for two reasons: to celebrate the richness and diversity of the province, and to mark a return to school activities in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Due to the country-wide lockdown, schools in GB were shut down en masse, and following a significant decrease in the number of cases in the province, children can once again return to their school and activities without fear of infection.
Atif Badar holding a storytelling session with children of Mubarak Village, Sindh (Photo credits to CLF)
But on a wider level, PLF also brings attention to the fascinating history and breathtaking natural scenery of GB. Home to some of the tallest mountains in the world, Gilgit-Baltistan boasts breathtaking natural scenery and rare wildlife that is under threat due to climate change. It is also home to centuries of folk traditions and ways of living of different communities, all of which need to be preserved and incorporated into educational curriculums.
Young Children Gearing Up for PLS
While the first two days will be devoted to panels and activities, the third day is exclusively devoted to educational workshops for teachers and parents. Each part of the festival is divided into rooms or spaces named after key places and people of the province, such as ‘Deosai’, ‘Fairy Meadows’, ‘Samina Baig’ and ‘Ali Sadpara’.
CLF will focus on 15 major strands related to education such as storytelling, STEM activities, theatre, discussion panels and book launches. There will also be arts and crafts activities throughout the festival to engage young children between these panels. The guests for the event feature professionals, artists and storytellers from all parts of the country. Notable names include journalist Afia Salam, mountaineer Ahmad Baig, writer Fauzia Aziz Minallah and photographer Mobeen Ansari.
Trainees from the GB division of the Digi Kutub Khanay
Throughout the festival, a COVID Standards of Procedure (SOP) Kiosk will remain open to distribute masks, sanitizers and other hygiene products to visitors. Social distancing will be strictly observed to prevent any outbreaks. This will ensure that parents, teachers, children and panel guests will be able to carry out their activities and interact with each other as much as possible.
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