“[C]ontinence is a very important part of yoga. If a handful of people come forward with strong wills, nothing is impossible. One Buddha changed half the globe; one Jesus, three quarters of the world. We all have that capacity. (140)”
Swami Satchidananda, Yoga Sutras of Patanjal
Sabina Khatri, a woman of great inspiration, working vigorously to better many children born and brought up in Karachi’s most violent area called Lyari.
Ho Yaqeen- The unsung heroes of Pakistan
Having aired on 20th May 2012, Ho Yaqeen is a documentary series that aims at illuminating Pakistan from a new perspective to not only the international media but to its own national populous. A change to the latest episode of Hum Safar which we all avidly watch. Ho yaqeen is a series quite unique to the national television programming of Pakistan, in both its genre and content. Delving into the work and obstacles faced by these 6 characters on the ground through 6 episodes, the series follows characters who have transformed their lives into an expression of what it means to be selfless through deliberate and self-conscious decisions They are not the divine saints of theology giving up all worldly possessions to help others or individuals with superlative abilities instead they are ordinary citizens who refuse to turn a blind eye towards their community
The literal translation of the series being “if you believe” is the newest initiative of the Academy and Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and her production team- SOC films, in collaboration with Coca Cola. What is particularly interesting about the series is its approach to the concept of a hero as an ordinary person who has sought to define his/her identity through acts that’s are both self-conscious and deliberate. Ho Yaqeen is, as the team claims, a reflection of how there is so much more to the Pakistani mind set; patriotism in this sense seems to be a very strong component in this series. The teams approach to the series being summed up;
“You have to deliver, you can take longer but you always deliver.”
Indeed the response to Ho Yaqeen has been quite a phenomenal one in its own right. The Premiere night witnessed an audience teary eyed and applauding from the sentiment of nationalism that the small frame of Sabina Khatri had induced through her story in the first episode.
Sabina Khatri, a woman who took the initiative of setting up her own school in Lyari ,an area notorious for its crime and violence. Sabina Khatri has been successfully running the Kiran school for the past 5 years not only sought to educate the children of Lyari but their parents as well. . The Kiran school has been at the forefront of helping these children with sponsored admission into well established private schools and is noticeably becoming the spearhead of an educational revolution and providing the next generation with a base to create a chain reaction of positive change.
In relation to the series the SOC films team has said;
“We were very passionate about showing not only the international media but our own nation that within our own grounds, heroes lie in the most unexpected of places. We have picked up on a few individuals. Tons of research, believe me has shown us that there are so many more who are actively making a difference in Pakistan. “
Its clear that the team at Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy films has sought to boost the Pakistani morale with a clear message that positive social change is not a mythological ideology but a tangible force. Having presented her first case of proof we can only wait at the edge of our seats for the SOC team to unveil the remaining 5 characters. From a woman and team who are showing the world that they always deliver.
Ho- Yakeen 