Lit’ Talks Layyah is finally here! To officially launch Layyah 2.0 campaign in collaboration with KhudKaar, Daastan is introducing you to Wardah Noor. She is the founder of KhudKaar. In this week’s live session, our CEO Syed Ommer conversed with Wardah about the history, conception and features of Lit’ Layyah.
How did Daastan meet Wardah Noor?
In the beginning of the session, Ommer expresses his excitement for this joint venture. He recalled the time when he came across Wardah almost a year ago. Together Ommer and Wardah have worked before but it wasn’t until 5 months ago that they met for the very first time. Now both of them are not only inspiring each other by taking on Layyah 2.0 but also those around them.
Let’s hear what Wardah has to say about Daastan & Ommer.
“I am inspired a lot by Ommer as a person and a creative. Also having someone from a similar background in this industry offers a lot of support. I saw Ommer’s example and it made me feel less alienated.”
Envisioning Layyah 2.0
“Thinking about Layyah 2.0 takes me back to the days of Peshawar 2.0. However, back then Peshawar was considered a lost cause. Yet Peshawar 2.0 raised hope for a better future to come. And the better future, it in fact did come”, says Ommer.
Wardah loves her hometown and its dwellers. Even with so much to offer, most people of Layyah lie below the poverty line. Their potential remains untapped. Therefore, seeing the suffering there burned in her the passion to help her city break free from the shackles of poverty. She aims to transform Layyah into the creative capital of South Punjab. The work on the idea of Layyah began in 2018. But it wasn’t until 2020, Wardah materialised it. By establishing KhudKaar, Wardah laid the foundations for her vision surrounding Layyah 2.0. Khudkaar is the first community centre in Layyah that connects people with technology. It is a place that explores sustainable economic solutions while encouraging people to learn new skills. At Khudkaar, creativity also holds paramount importance.
How does Lit’ Layyah work?
Till this point, you all have become familiar with Lit’ Layyah. It’s time to tell you how it works. Moreover, we will tell you how you can be a part of this exciting project.
In Wardah’s words, Lit’ Layyah is operating on 3 fronts. Each of them connected together to contribute to our vision of tech equipped & prosperous Layyah. These three fronts include:
- Lit’Talks
Lit’Talks is our episodic series of online workshops through which we hope to discuss art, technology, culture and sustainability.
- Lit’Tech
Lit’ Tech is our major offline event that is giving the creatives of Layyah a chance to showcase their talents. The event will deliver workshops, host art exhibitions & spoken word festivals.
- Lit’Think
Through Lit’Think you can become a part of our vision and share your ideas & thoughts regarding Self-reliance ( خود مختار). You can submit your writings here.
Inspired from the vision of Peshawar 2.0, Daastan and Khudkaar aims to bridge the digital and economic gap Layyah has been facing for a long time. We aspire to do that by launching 500 small businesses over the span of 10 years in 10 categories. Through this we hope, people will be able to earn a minimum of 50,000 Pkr per month.
Wardah’s Layyah has been long overlooked, it’s time to revolutionize it and help people to build their best lives. Stay tuned for the upcoming Lit’Talks.
