Pakistani girls from the age of 8 till 19 have painted their scarves with messages of peace. They have different ideas and express themselves in their own unique ways. For example 10 year old Aleema has painted a Muslim girl with a Dodo bird, because she says that she painted a girl who loves animals and she is holding a Dodo bird because she wants them back, this world will be beautiful if we are kind to animals. 12 year old Sara has painted a girl with a scarf who loves trees and wants to take care of the environment. 13 year old Mariam have painted a girl and a boy because she wants people to love their daughters as much as sons . Similarly each girl has expressed herself in her own unique way.
Children in Pakistan have a very difficult life, many don’t even go to school and many start work at a very young age. But it is the 'girl child' who is not as fortunate as her brothers. Many families dont even want daughters as they prefer sons. There are many aware, educated parents who cherish their daughters and that can be seen in the confidant manner they express themselves. There are lucky girls who go to good schools where they get an opportunity to express themselves through painting but for majority of children art is not taught in schools. Funkor works with children from different segments of society, without any discrimination, therefore this exhibition presents the work of girls from different strata of society. There are girls who have had the opportunity of expressing themselves through painting and there are those who are doing it for the first time for this exhibition. There are also girls who can barely see, they have tried painting too. Komal, Munaza and Fizza, students of Almaktoom Center for Visually Impaired children, painted their scarves in " Amai Park" a play area I have developed specially for blind children. These students have varying degrees of blindness, yet hope in abundance.
There are girls who do wear scarves and those who don’t. All trying to express through their paintings that they are not much different from any other girl from any part of the world. They also love dolls, flowers, butterflies, trees and animals and they also want be loved as much as their brothers and they also want to see this world to be a better place for all. For this exhibition we have chosen black and white scarves although in Pakistan girls wear different kinds of scarves, black, white and those with colours, some dont wear scarves at all. The reason I have chosen black scarves is because the images painted by these girls shine like 'Light in Darkness'.
Fauzia Minallah
Founder/ Director
Funkor Childart Center
'Amai Park', Almaktoom Center for the Visually Impaired Children.
Sunday School at the Nam Seoul Prespyterian Church of Pakistan. Shanty Town G 7
Funkor Childart Center
Village Ratwaal, Attock
Pehli Kiran School, Golra
Fauzia Minallah distributed the gifts from Kaufhouf Departmental Store, Munich, in Pehli Kiran School, Golra. Respected Human right activish Tahira Abdullah was also present at the occassion and talked to children about religious tolerance and protection of the Environment. 6 gifts for the little artist who painted the 'Scarves of Peace from Pakistan' recieved the gifts their names are Sadia, Minahil, Asma, Shahida, Salma and Aqsa. 
