Ideas, one of Pakistan’s leading fashion labels, as part of the brand’s ‘Ideas for a Better Tomorrow’ initiative recently lead the restoration of the ‘Pak Shaheen Gym’ in Lyari, Karachi. The club is one of the only women’s boxing clubs in Pakistan and a beacon of hope for girls who train at the club. An underprivileged area with many challenges, the mere existence of this club in Lyari is an achievement, overpowering prejudice and family reservations to give girls a chance to follow their passion.
Pak Shaheen Gym’s Senior Coach Younus Kamran is a fatherly figure at the gym, where he provided the best training he could to the girls with the limited resources available at the club. With the gym in desperate need of good equipment and to provide a better learning environment for these talented young girls, Ideas offered to renovate the gym and provide equipment for the young boxers. A proper boxing ring was built in the completely refurbished gym and Ideas provided both training kits and quality apparatus to the club. The reaction of the young boxers, as they saw their bright new gym and equipment, was heartwarming.
Azmeenah, one of the young boxers, explains why the club is so important to her; “Boxing is important for girls because, in our society, girls don’t have value. Boxing empowers us and makes us independent. Sometimes my parents tell me not to leave the house alone because men misbehave on the roads. Through boxing we can protect ourselves from such men and go outside. When I used to fight with my brothers at home I would lose. Now I know that I can win.”
“I will do whatever it takes. Insha’Allah I will make it to the Olympics and make all Pakistan proud,” said Areesha, a nine-year old who trains at the gym.
The Ideas for a Better Tomorrow initiative reflects the brand’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). “Our team started to a little soul searching about what our brand stood for in the larger scheme of things, and its place in society. This included thinking about what we believe in and what values we’d like to champion as a brand. Investing in sports is a great way to instill confidence and self-esteem among some of the most disenfranchised sectors of society. Playing sports also promotes the concepts of fair play, perseverance and meritocracy. As a brand we want to be a trail blazer and inspire other brands to see how we can all collectively contribute positively to society at large. The entire country benefits when we all move in this direction.” said Ziad Bashir, Director Ideas.
The Ideas for a better tomorrow initiative started off with a Pakistan Day celebration for schoolchildren and followed up with an inspirational Mother’s Day commemoration for abandoned mothers at the Great Home, an old age home in Karachi. In Ramazan, Ideas held a groundbreaking night cricket tournament for young women. Usually the preserve of young men, night cricket is an enjoyable Ramazan tradition in Pakistan. This year, Ideas enabled budding young women cricketers to enjoy the tradition.
The Lyari boxing club renovation is the fourth such project this year and reaffirms Ideas’ dedication to women’s empowerment, urban regeneration and the championing of the underprivileged. A short video about Pak Shaheen Boxing Club’s renovation is available on the Ideas Pret YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mQxzyBK6m4
The channel also hosts videos about other Ideas for Better Tomorrow initiatives:
Pakistan Day Celebrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq3DZ5Q5q_g
A very special Mother’s Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKjOiaNoFHc
Night Cricket Tournament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD9aHgzIZ6o
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