KARACHI, Jan 1: A three-day exhibition of posters and other material organized by an NGO, Azad Foundation, opened here on Thursday. The NGO works on street children.

On the display are samples of posters, advertisements, stationary, visiting cards, letter heads, envelopes, brochures, calendars, logos, variations, etc., all created by a group of nine students of the Department of Visual Studies, University of Karachi. The students based theme of their creative activity on Azad Foundation with a view to promote the cause of street children's welfare and rehabilitation.

Many of the exhibits highlight different dimensions of the issue as well as the miseries of street children made to live on footpaths and subjected by society to exploitation. Many of these children (especially the younger ones) are subjected to abuse also.

Khurram Maqbool and Naveed Khan of the Azad Foundation said that thousands of children used to spend their lives on the streets of Karachi. The children leave their homes owing to different reasons. Once away from home, they find refuge in the company of those living on footpaths where many of them are abused by the 'hosts'. Most often, these children turn to addiction and other such bad habits.

Durriya Kazi, head of the KU's Visual Studies Department, told Dawn that the participating students were assigned the task of preparing a mini-thesis, as part of their course, on certain topics suggested by the department.

Last year, the subject was 'railways' and this year it is the Azad Foundation which has been working on such a serious and humane issue. Ms Kazi, who is also a director on the board of the foundation, said that the foundation members had helped the students very much by providing all the relevant information.

Names of the participating students are Afreen Fatima, Ayesha Khatib, Faiza Sahar, Adnan Asghar, Lubna Almas, Jamal Hussain, Rabia Ansari, Samia Jalil and Shumaila Asad.