Amai Community Art Projects
Funkor Child Art Centre is a charity of artist, author and illustrator for children Fauzia Minallah. Funkor uses the medium of art and books to extend children’s outlook and awareness of the concepts of environment and heritage protection, human rights, equality, tolerance and peace. Funkor is committed to promoting art among children and generating healthy and creative activities for children from a broad spectrum of society. Cartoon character Amai the bird of light created by Fauzia Minallah is used promote these values among children.
Art and book reading is a luxury not many children can afford in Pakistan. Art activities and book reading sessions are non-existent in schools for the children from the lower income group. A minority of privileged children going to private schools have art as a subject and functional libraries, but for the majority of children belonging to the under privileged sections of society art is a luxury they cannot afford and going to libraries is a rarity. Funkor Childart Center was founded in Islamabad, in 2002 by artist and children’s writer Fauzia Minallah , to organize workshops and events for children who rarely get a chance of experiencing the joy of painting and book reading. Initially it was called Children’s Art Center and later on renamed as Funkor Childart Center.
Funkor has been a dedicated advocate of children’s right to art and books. Through art and books Funkor promotes International Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the United Nations in 1990. Funkor has cooperated with many national and international organizations around the world . Funkor is made up of an urdu word fun meaning art and kor a pushtu word meaning house, in other words an art house for children.