KARACHI, Aug 11: Around 450 little children from Abdul Rehman Goth and 50 other Karachiites took part in a national flag painting activity at Bullehji Baloch Football Ground near Hawkesbay on Saturday afternoon in connection with Independence Day celebrations.

The activity was organised by a non-governmental organisation.A huge 20-foot Pakistan flag with the white areas to be left out for the crescent and star all marked out was quickly filled up with little green hand imprints along with each participant’s signature. The children seemed thrilled to bits as they dipped their hands in platters of green paint.

Arbaaz and Osama, both class I students, said that had not had so much fun before. Osama even painted his left cheek green after he was done with the flag. Young Nayab who studies in class-III and was proudly sporting a pretty Balochi dress had accidentally got a few paint marks on her pretty clothes. Asked if she was going to be scolded by her mother for not being careful, the little girl giggled and shook her head. “Not a chance,” she said.

A live volunteer students’ band playing in the background had the little ones dancing to all their songs following the painting activity. “We are all working here on a voluntary basis,” said one of the NGO trustees, Tazeen Hussain, while speaking to Dawn.

There was also an Indus Valley School (IVS) football team to play against the community team in a festive match later.

“The players of our team are not just students at the school but others who work there as well,” she stated.

One of them, Abdul Rehman, a midfielder in the team, happened to be the school canteen waiter who also plays for the Usman Shaheed Football Club in Keamari. “Despite my best efforts in producing chances for our forwards to score, we could not beat the local team,” he said.

The football match saw the village team beating the guests 3-1. The celebrations concluded with the singing of the national anthem followed by setting of 750 green and white balloons.