It’s easy to forget things. Empathy is a stifling emotion in Pakistan and with poverty on the rise, such dire times are a cry for Abdul Sattar Edhi. The savior of our nation is no longer with us, and while his legacy will forever be earthed in Pakistani soil, it’s important to remember his championing doctrine and pass them to our younger generations – after all, they are our future. An animated show premiered on Geo a while ago, called ‘Quaid Say Baatein,’ with the sole purpose to teach children about how to instill positive values and work towards making Pakistan a better place for everyone, regardless of gender preference, sex, and class. While the primary target audience is children, the values laid out by each episode transcend all ages. It’s a lesson for everyone.

This particular episode is part of a series with a bubbly protagonist called Zainab where she hosts her own sub-show ‘Zainab Say Baatein‘

The episode begins with Zainab having some ice cream on a hot summer’s day.

A small worrisome boy sits in the corner of the street, weak, tired and malnourished

And as Zainab notices him, she stops and thinks about how she can help

After a brief hesitation, she kindly decides to give her ice cream to the impoverished boy before her father ushers her to leave

Later in the day, Zainab can’t stop thinking about what the boy she saw earlier

She wonders why she gets to go to sleep with a full tummy while that boy stays ravenous.

She remembers Edhi saab and reminisces about how everything was fine when he was alive

He’s gone, and for Zainab, all hope is lost.

Before she calls it a night, she heartbreakingly says, ‘Edhi saab ne mulk ke liye itna kuch kiya, magar woh chale gaye hain. Yeh kya ho gaya hai’

In her dream, she stumbles upon a nonchalant Edhi

Ecstatic, Zainab meets her idol and relays her worries about the state of society, now that he’s gone

Edhi responds in a loving manner as they sit down to discuss

He said he understood how hard it was for her to see things like her interaction with the boy and that the first step for change is yourself

Zainab asked how one person can change the world, to which Edhi responded ‘mein bhi tho pehle akela hi tha.’

After a profound heart to heart, Zainab woke up, far more cheerful and full of zest than when she fell asleep

She rushes back to the boy where she offers him an ice cream, blossoming with Edhi’s spirit and mettlesome nature

The boy heartily accepts after Zainab introduces herself

And she fervently sits down beside him and asks if he’ll read a story with her

We asked the writer and director, Daniyal Noorani of this wonderful series to give us an insight into what the underlying hopes were, to which he told MangoBaaz, ‘Quaid Say Baatein is an animated show that is designed to instill positive civic values and critical thinking ability within children of Pakistan. The problem that we identified is that within the curriculum in Pakistan there is a focus on technical education and not much focus on character building. Through Quaid Say Baatein we hope to instill positive values such the importance of hard work and respecting difference of opinions.’

Watch the heartfelt video below

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What did you think of this video? Are initiatives like these necessary to promote harmony and peace in a society like Pakistan?