Traditional Gathering Reinforce Social Values - July 2006

A valuable tradition that still lives on proudly in Sindhi communities, especially those established in the rural districts of the province, is the common practice of conducting kachehris. For those who are unacquainted with the concept, kachehri is a gathering of village residents where they are free to discuss everything from their everyday tribulations to local and international newspaper headlines. This casual assembly of people is a custom that has sustained values such as community ownership, reverence for elders, voicing ones opinions and critically analyzing issues.

The Fellowship Schools Program (FSP) conducted a series of gatherings in Karachi, Matyari and Khairpur. The kachehris featured a fascinating discussion on the poetry of Shah Latif Bhittai. Some people recited verses from the great thinker’s poetry while others debated how Shah Latif’s poetry was still applicable to society in these modern times. The discourse on societal values also reflected the significance of education, literacy and learning and the benefits they provide to the community. The elders present at the kachehris stated that the importance of these opportunities can be assessed from the fact that a girl who has been through at least a primary level education is more likely to be aware of health issues and consequently raise a healthy family and willingly send her children to school.

All in all, organizing such gatherings created enormous enthusiasm amongst all community members, all of whom declared that conducting such gatherings helped them understand the significance of maintaining cultural roots and traditional ways of life