The Citizens Foundation’s ‘Obhartay Sitaray’ concludes on a high note

KARACHI: The Citizens Foundation (TCF) organised the Finale of Obhartay Sitaray 2018, at a local hotel where contestants were school going children brimming with the passion for music and singing. Obhartay Sitaray is an annual inter-school singing competition that provides students a platform to prove their passion for singing with the opportunity to raise funds for education of the less-privileged children of TCF. The Chief Guest of the event was the US Consul General Mr. Grace W. Shelton. 

This year, more than 70,000 household from 120+ schools campuses in Karachi participated in the fundraising efforts while over 629 students (277 teams) competed in the school level singing rounds. For the Team’s Final, 88 voices in 32 teams from Primary, Secondary, Senior, & College levels participated in the competition where the judges were maestros like Tina Sani, Arshad Mehmood, Afshan Ahmed and Salman Alvi.

Speaking on the occasion, TCF Chairman & Co-Founder, Mr. Ateed Riaz said, “TCF remains committed to the cause of education. At TCF, we believe that education has to be more holistic than just textbook studies. Obhartay Sitaray brings TCF children and private school children on the same platform and I think that is a true reflection of TCF’s mission of removing the barriers of class and privilege. It is heartening to see more supporters for Obhartay Sitaray each year, this ever growing TCF family marks the victory of education over illiteracy and deprivation. I am delighted to see such young students perform difficult Pakistani songs with great poise. You see these bright children of private schools sharing stage with TCF children and you cannot help but see a brilliant future of our country.”

‘Obhartay Sitaray’ initiated in 2012, has now become a signature event of TCF in the course of five years. It is managed by a ladies volunteer group called Supporters of The Citizens Foundation (STCF). The group actively puts in time, effort, expertise and resources to arrange a vast array of fundraising events to support the cause of an educated and enlightened Pakistan.

Commenting on the phenomenal response, Mrs. Biba Baseer, Project Lead for Obhartay Sitaray said: “We are a generous and big hearted society; all people need is a direction and the assurance that their funds will be utilized in good faith. We are thankful to all the partnering schools and their students who not only participated actively but also collected funds for TCF. I feel Obhartay Sotaray has become a singing platform for the young and talented children of our country. They have the voices as well as the hearts of gold.”

The Citizens Foundation (TCF) is a professionally managed, non-profit organization set up in 1995 by a group of citizens who wanted to bring about positive social change through education. 21 years later, TCF is now one of Pakistan’s leading organizations in the field of education for the less privileged. The TCF model focuses on providing quality education through purpose-built schools located in the heart of Pakistan’s urban slums and rural communities. The organization ensures that girls represent nearly 50% of overall student enrollment. 

The Winning Voices are:

Primary Level

  Winner: Tarab Nafees of The Hampton School (Pop genre) and Nida Fatima of Beaconhouse school (mili naghma genre)

  Runners Up: Muhd. Abdullah Khan of Beaconhouse (Pop genre) and Sani of Shahwilayat school (mili naghma genre)

Secondary Level

  Winner: Sakina Haider of Beaconhouse school (pop genre) and Ali Abbas of Beaconhouse school (mili naghma genre)

  Runners up: Mujtaba Mehdi of Beaconhouse school (pop genre) and Rejjah Zabir of St. Joseph’s school (mili naghma genre)

College Level

§  Winner: Khillat Zehra of Nixor college (Ghazal genre)

§  Runner up: Aisha Ijlal of The Lyceum (Ghazal genre)

§  Winner: Natasha Rasool of Nixor College (Mili naghma genre)

§  Runner up: Bilal Hasan of Karachi Grammar School (Mili naghma genre)

§  Winner: Zuha Adnan of Nixor college (Pop genre)

§  Runner up: Maria Malick of Karachi Grammar School (Pop genre)

The Winning Teams are:

Primary Level

§  Winner Team: Beaconhouse School (Jauhar Campus)

§  Runner-up Team: Beaconhouse School (N Nazimabad Campus)

Secondary Level

§  Winner Team: Happy Home School (Society Campus)

§  Runner-up Team: St. Joseph’s Convent School