Orientation at Pasha’s Farm

Pasha’s Farm is the home of Tofiq Pasha Mooraj who is a well known horticulturalist, landscaper and environmentalist. He hosts 2 very popular TV shows on gardening and vegetable growing and has made a series of childrens’ shows called “Go Camping with Pasha”. Apart from this he is very active on environmental issues especially water & food and also undertakes projects working on women s lively hood issues. He also regularly conducts childrens camps at his home/farm.

The orientation was hosted at Pasha’s Farm and provided a wonderful environment for the participants, trainers and managers to meet and mingle and learn about each other and to  build trust and relationships.

Arrivals and Heading to Orientation

Flight arrivals, lodging confirmations, equipment check, responsibility division, transportation, forms, print outs, calls, mails etc. The lists are being checked and re-checked.  Nothing is to be left to chance. This is what Eckova looked like on 26^th Jan- the long awaited day. The workshop is about to formally start in some time.

 The participants are gathering and here I am wearing a yellow and black badge welcoming all, being one of the volunteers of this workshop. Eckova is now packed with crowd of participants, heaps of suitcases and bags and rows of blankets which we’re supposed to carry to counter the chill weather at the farmhouse.

 The bus is here!  Everyone is in a rush to fit in themselves and their luggage inside it.  Moiz and I need to  do the same once we finish our session of promoting this event with live coverage of FM 107. Yes! We’re live on radio!

And now we’re seated in the bus full of excited people, surrounded by the cheesy hit numbers and clicks and clicks of the cameras. We’re now on our way to social change.

Photos on Facebook Gallery

Patrick returns!

The director of the London International Documentary Festival (LIDF), Patrick Hazard is back in town. Yes, guys the workshops are about to start and I’m extremely excited. I’ll be leaving with all the students to Pasha’s Farm in few hours for ‘Orientation’, where all the strangers are going to be friends.

But before that, I’ve to pick the Lahore students from the Jinnah International Karachi. When Patrick came to Pakistan for the first in 2008 for a conference, who would have thought that in 2010 he’ll be coming back for a project as big as this. As I wrote in my last blog post as well that 30 students are participating in 2010 workshops:

Alizeb Raees (BNU)
Ali hameed (NCA)
Ali Ahmed (PAF)
Ali Ahad Ullah (PAF)
Ali Changezi (PAF)
Alifia Dairkee (Iqra)
Atif Ahmed Qureshi (PU)
Awais Ahmed (PU)
Ghayas uddin (KU)
Hafsa Pasha (IVS)
Huma Akbar (KCW)
Kiran Mushtaq (KCW)
Kamran Khan (PU)
Kayzad Giara (IVS)
Kiran Ahmed (IVS)
M. Ali Sheikh (IVS)
M. Umer Saeed (PU)
M. Bilal Latif (KSA)
M. Zohaib Siddiqui (KU)
Mohib Billoo (GU)
Nabiha Khan (IVS)
Prem Lata (ZAB)
Paiman Hussain (IVS)
Sara Masood (KU)
Sarah Ismail (IVS)
Summayya Hafeez (KU)
Sidra Hamid (KU)
Seher Palijo (KU)
Talha Ahmed (KSA)
Waqqas Hussein (ZAB)

Five students by the name of Ali. All three students from PAF are Ali! Is it something to do with the selection criteria of PAF? Two girls are called Kiran. Two girls are called Sara/Sarah. This is going to be confusingly interesting I guess.

Jokes apart, orientation for the students is at the Pasha’s Farm in the suburbs of Pakistan’s biggest city. Beautiful environment of the farm offers great ambience for art lovers and film is the highest form of art! We all are supposed to stay overnight at Pasha’s Farm, bonfire-night to be exact. My skills for keeping the fire alive are going to be tested soon.

There is a huge, massive water well in the farm, which is dangerous because of being 100 feet deep. So, no one should be doing any masti or fun at the well.

We have planned lots of games for our stay at the farm, let’s see how everything goes. I’ll be meeting Patrick after a gap of 5 months, last time we met in London few days before I left for Italy. I’m looking forward to seeing him in the morning. This is Moiz Masood Sultani signing off as he has to pack his stuff for the farm.

Ciao!
Moiz