"The dreams Can come true (Khawb Sachay Ho Saktay Hain)"

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January - 2011 (Lahore)


Written by: Shahid Nadeem
Directed by: Sarfraz Ansari

The children of the dead-end street, the rag-picking girls, the workshop chota, the “cleander” of a truck driver and the child domestic worker, can’t even dare to dream. Their lives are drab and oppressive. No education, no recreation, no love and no hope. They play imaginary games whenever they get a chance. Then comes the foot-ball faced Jinn. He has the innocence of a child but is cheerful and wise. He is accidentally freed by the street kids and is indebted to them. He urges them to dream and rekindle their hopes. He reveals that dreams (sometimes) can come true and tells them the story of the Soccer ball children of Sialkot, who once stitched soccer balls and now play soccer at their schools. In a country where success stories are rare and not considered newsworthy, the story of the Sialkot soccer kids and the Bunyad Girls School Soccer team needs to be told and celebrated. “Khawb Sachay Ho Saktay Hain”, a new play by Ajoka Children’s Theatre, is an attempt to spread the good news, to rekindle hope and renew resolve to eliminate child labour. Ajoka Children’s Theatre (ACT) is committed to producing plays on the themes relating to child rights. Its plays include “Band Gali Kay Bachay” (on the children’s right to play), “Bhola” (a play on child cancer patients), “Nikki” (on young child-carers), “Kaali Ghata” ( on environment) and “Border-Border” (a play on peace in collaboration with with Indian children). ACT congratulates ILO and the Norwegian Embassy for their successful campaign against the Worst Forms of Child Labour and is honoured to present “Khawab Sachay Ho Saktay Hain: (Dreams Can Come True) as a contribution to this campaign.

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