Yesterday (6 December), London based poet Hussain Manawer, took his message of leadership, resilience and perseverance in reaching your full potential to the Alahmra Arts Center in Lahore, Pakistan, as part of the London Mayor’s official visit to the country. Lending his support to Sadiq Khan, Manawer performed his original poem ‘I Am Pakistan’ to a hundred-strong crowd, made up of the country’s brightest future leaders.
Hoping to build ties between the region and London, the event served as an official stop on the Mayor’s weeklong trip to India and Pakistan. Wishing to inspire change whilst connecting with young leaders in Pakistan, Manawer used the opportunity to share stories of the people he’s met in the past fortnight, their passions and their ambitions for the future.
The performance marked the official end to Manawer’s own two-week long Pakistani mission, in which he journeyed to the region to install clean water wells for local villages. As part of his fortnightly activity, Manawer and his family assisted and funded a selection of electric-pump and hand-pump wells.
“My parents and I were born in England but I’ve always taken the time to visit Pakistan. Most of those times were with my mother who loved it here. We started various charitable projects together but when she passed away, I wanted to continue her legacy and assist communities here. The money raised in her name was to help build wells and allow locals the opportunity to become self-sustaining. Having seen Sadiq Khan’s efforts in the region– and having the opportunity to speak to the youth of the country alongside him – means I am ready to bring back all that I have learnt from my trip and continue to think of ways to inspire other young people,” says Hussain Manawer.
Since his mother’s passing, Hussain and his family have been raising funds for the NMF Foundation, with all proceeds used to assist on the ground development for clean water supplies. The first of many trips to Pakistan, the young Poet plans to return in the New Year and look to secure sustainable means of continuing his work.
Watch Hussain's keynote performance at the OYW 2015 Summit in Bangkok, Thailand:
