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These kids from Lyari show us what it means to be model citizens

These kids from Lyari show us what it means to be model citizens

In a viral video, young residents of Lyari insist that it's a good neighbourhood and it's their job to take care of it
Updated 30 May, 2016

An excerpt of a documentary is making the rounds of the internet, and its subjects - two girls and one boy from Lyari - have won over social media with their candid defense of their neighbourhood.

Lyari is a neighbourhood in Lyari Town, one of the oldest of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. Although it is known to produce football and boxing champs, Lyari also often makes headlines for gang warfare. The result is a perception of the neighbourhood as one of Karachi's most volatile, dangerous parts.

Also read: Lyari's Michelangelo: The man behind the Obamas portrait

However, young students of the Kiran School System, think that isn't true. And they spread that message through this video gone viral.

"Lyari is a good place. Those people who think that Lyari is a violent space, they are totally wrong," says one.

"We are also living here. It is nothing here. The people say that it's bad, it's not bad," quips another.

"What bothers me is the litter. Because whenever people enter, they think it is littered, so it won't be a good place," she goes on to observe.

Read more: The untold tales of Lyari

When their interviewer asks how they would change Lyari if they were President, the girl says, "It's not important to be a President [to bring about] change. We can [effect] change as well. It's not always important to be a big person to do things. We need a degree, and then we're free to do anything."

Another adds, "We are also having our own society, the Kiran Dream Society. We give back to our community by cleaning our streets and doing many good things."

How's that for community ownership?

This video clip is an excerpt of a larger BBC documentary being produced by British-Iranian journalist Benjamin Zand. The full documentary comes out in July.

Comments

rabia_H May 30, 2016 11:42am
WOW, I am so impressed by these children. There are more mature and wise than many adults i know. May their dreams come true!
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ishfaq Bughio May 30, 2016 11:57am
Why our media is failed to highlight positive side of Pakistan? Always their headlines are with racism, discrimination, favoritism etc .Our media needs to grown up.
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Philosopher (from Japan) May 30, 2016 12:14pm
Politicians made lyari worst otherwise it was a place of highly hospitable people.
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Ahmed May 30, 2016 12:19pm
Amazing children
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Ruth May 30, 2016 12:35pm
This is the way forward and these children are teaching us adults how to do it. They must be going to a school with good teachers and their Families are surely advanced thinkers. Proud of Pakistani children they will bring the change. Forget all these Politicians they are too involved in blaming one and other for what ever they do or don't do. Waisting our time waisting our energy and changing nothing. These children have understood this in their young age to take things in their own hands. We are proud of our youth.
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khanm May 30, 2016 12:36pm
please ask the similar question to them kids in defense area and then compare and contrast their characteristic... it would be worth writing....
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Maxx May 30, 2016 12:49pm
Beautiful words and children are so intelligent. Lyari is perceived as a dangerous place but it is not with the gang war decimated now, same as the perception about the country. Best wishes to them.
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DR.Shamir Baloch May 30, 2016 12:54pm
Given the opportunity, these wonderful childrens are future of lyari.
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kumar May 30, 2016 12:57pm
Brilliant kids and their mature response, these are the kids may change the Pakistan image.
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ishfaq Bughio May 30, 2016 02:54pm
@ishfaq Bughio just clarification, i mean to say, these are wonderful kids, the way they are talking is amazing, hardly many mature speak like that. In addition,a person from abroad for his documentary can find positive aspect of society then why not our media.
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Faiz Khilji May 30, 2016 02:58pm
WOW!! Amazing!!! The confidence in the kids is booming. Excellent work by the Kiran School System.
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IMDAD ALI May 30, 2016 03:28pm
Lyari is area of peace loving people but it has been made battle field by political opponents for point scoring. When we see the 80 era the area was famous due to football players and athlete etc the area youth were found of plying sports and had hard worker but since the days gone, the city had been hijacked in the hands of criminal backing of politicians. Now the area seems war fare every one is busy to show down the opponents by killing innocent , by damaged schools, hospitals play grounds so that the future of the lyari may be doomed but this interview of three kids is an eye opener for that goons who do not want to perspire the lyari. The people should be come forward to raise voice for their right and may struggle so that criminal gangs and criminals could be get out from the area. furthermore, police may be neutral as police is politicize and it is using on the directions of their private bosses and not following the directions of highups of the department. Ban may be imposed in the politics in the provincial capital for about three years, which shall definitely put the city on the path of development.
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Yasmin Elahi May 30, 2016 04:23pm
These children seem out of the World.. I hope they prove to be the light at the end of the dark tunnel we seem to be walking in! Best of luck, dear ones...you already shine!
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Mohammad A Khan May 30, 2016 05:10pm
This is the only hope for Pakistan.People awareness and organization.UNITY,FAITH and DISCIPLINE.
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PAKISTAN ZINDABAD May 30, 2016 05:19pm
I've visited there a lot. Beautiful people with colorful heart.
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Khalid May 30, 2016 06:22pm
This is how Pakistani children should be. Glad that at least Lyari is bringing up their children nicely.
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Syed Ali May 30, 2016 07:03pm
@Ruth These are the agents of change; top down leadership has failed, it is time to support these kids to build a strong foundation with compassion, equality, and Justice. Also it will be useful for Dawn to provide links to contribute for their cause.
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Syed Ali May 30, 2016 07:07pm
@DR.Shamir Baloch, very good, let these children be the hope of entire Pakistan not just Layari. Also, let's ask ourselves how we can take their model to the rest of the country and world.
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saeeds May 30, 2016 07:34pm
@Philosopher (from Japan) even you don't learn lesson from these kids. These kids give simple message You don't have to be president to change thing it's upto people and bring change with positive behavior as they said there place is best place. Please over with politician myth and make people responsible . Thanks for such beautiful article.
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Yawar May 30, 2016 09:18pm
Amazing what good education can do. Although many of our politicians are corrupt, we keep on blaming them because they are soft targets. And we never blame the true culprits like the gangsters, terrorists, and hate mongers who are against good education and dont care about the welfare of the common man and future of Pakistan.
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Iamnotjoking May 30, 2016 10:30pm
All the best wishes to Lyari. Keep it up .
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Iztraab May 30, 2016 11:53pm
@ishfaq Bughio because they are funded by groups which only want to portray negative side of Pakistan
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Adnan May 31, 2016 01:05am
Wow!!, pleasantly startled; oozing confidence, and having conviction in their tones, I commend the Kiran Academy and sincerely hope that this Initiative brings the light of education across Lyari. Way to go !!!
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Dr Eschfach May 31, 2016 12:12pm
This is how we all should bring up our kids.... Confident...clear headed and full of dreams...... From some the comments I could read be between the lines that people are positively impressed also because they might not be expecting lyari kids to communicate in a foreign language with such a confidence... Unfortunately one has to speak a foreign language in our country to be heeded to...Remember the man who landed a job days after he asked for it in English in a youtube video or the girls who sang a Justin Bieber cover... We can not really make any real progress as a natural society as long as this cultural inferiority complex prevails in our society.....
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