For the very first time in the interiors of Sindh, students from the rural areas with accomplished credentials under the banner of RETO Foundation organized the largest International Children Film Festival by creating the opportunity for the kids/students to experience the beauty of arts and cinema. RETO Foundation is not-for-profit organization operating in Tando Jam, Mirpur Khas, Sawan Khan Gopang, Tando Qaiser and Moosa Khatyan. RETO Foundation aims to make opportunities more visible for everyone through the platform of education and technology.
With the support of The Little Art – a Lahore-based art education organization – RETO Foundation took the festival to Sindh where more than two thousand children attended a two-day festival from February 3th to 4th, 2016. Around 77 short films on the theme of culture, diversity, pluralism and most importantly religion were screened representing 26 countries from across the globe.
Usama Ghaffar, Manager Operations, RETO Foundation told ProPakistani:
“We are thankful to The Little Art Organization that they collaborated with us to arrange this big event for students in interior Sindh. Moreover, our student council, Shades, is the major factor behind event’s success.”
More to that, Visual Art Workshops were also arranged in multiple schools providing the opportunity to 350 little artists to participate in National Art Beat Competition by taking the imaginative flights and coin the aesthetic pieces.
Ahmed Ali, Co-Founder & Director Operations, RETO Foundation said:
“This is a great achievement that students of interior Sindh are taking steps on their own to realize their true potential. And Little Art is doing some wonderful work in Pakistan.”
RETO Foundation, with the help of its student-led initiative, Shades Pakistan, takes pride in pioneering the ‘ideas to ideal’ approach in rural parts of Sindh including the largest Sports Olympiad in 2014, first-ever Digital Training Workshops on e-learning and scholarships, first election-based Student Council model in villages and towns and is currently developing a nation-wide campaign to build the largest community-owned central library with a slogan of “Har Ghar se Ek Kitaab”.
Nabeel Muhammad and Kashif Shaikh, Co-Founders, RETO Foundation told ProPakistani:
“The credit completely goes to students, who are our real facilitators in these rural areas.”
