VegFest Mela: The First Vegan Festival in Pakistan!
With the collective effort of the local communities, a vegan festival in Pakistan is no longer just a dream. VegFest Mela, the first vegan festival in Pakistan, took place in Karachi on the 8th of June 2024 at MAD School zamzama 🎊
The word “Mela” in Urdu and some other local languages in Pakistan means “festive” or "festival.”
The Pakistan Fellowship team set their minds to create a local festival, not only for vegans and vegetarians but also to welcome mainstream audiences to this vibrant plant-based space.
“This festival is a huge stepping stone for the vegan movement in Pakistan. There were many people who were inspired, and I personally could tell the joy of the vegan community. To be honest, many of us had lost hope, thinking that Pakistan might never be ready for a vegan dialogue, but this festival changed our perspective, myself included”
The food, the talk, and the fun!
One of the main highlights of the event was, of course, the plant-based food. For lunch, everyone was offered a vegan Biryani dish free of charge. Many fell so in love with it that they asked for the recipe! 😋
To add more happiness to everyone’s bellies, a local community member and vegan business, "Mylkhi,” set up their plant-based ice cream stall ready to serve their flavorful scoops to the attendees.
Through food and with the community spirit, VegFest Mela was a space where all folks could start conversations about veganism and connect with one another. The organizers also facilitated insightful dialogues by offering a wide range of workshops and panel discussions led by different speakers.
Marriyum Hasany shared with the crowd about her experience as a vegan living in Pakistan; Shah Fahad gave a workshop on how to advocate for causes using theater as a medium. While Sheema Kirmani, Hafiz Baloch, and Akhtar Rasool from the social sector also joined the stage. There was also a presentation about vegan products called “Nice Soya”, and an inspiring talk by Harris Ibrahim on how he created a human and non-human-inclusive cafe in Karachi.
Last but not least, the day ended beautifully with a musical show by Aab-e-shams, Aaroh, and Bhaggat Bhooro Laal, who are Indigenous musicians from Sindh, the southeastern region of the country.
Change created by the communities, for the communities
Ailya Khan (AAA Strategy Lead and Pakistan Coordinator) emphasized the overwhelming love and support her team has received from the local communities. The speakers traveled at their own expense (some even waived their fees) to join the event. And despite zero marketing budget or sponsoring attendees, more than 200 poeple showed up at the first VegFest Mela with their friends and family. Thanks to the support of those who helped spread the word about the event via social media.
“I want to give a shout-out to Eman Sarfaraz, Namra Gilani, Duha Alvi, and Aab-e-Shams. Furthermore, we received unparalleled support from our partners like Olomopolo Media, whose co-founder Vicky also joined our organizing committee and helped us in person on the day of the event. This was a great show of work and trust at all levels. And the team changed a simple idea into a beautiful event beyond my expectations.” Ailya added.
She has also reflected on the key takeaways from the success of this event, noting that it has stressed the importance of something that’s beyond any quantifiable measurements.
“I genuinely believe in the power of long-term community structures. Communities and people are the foundations of change, and they lead the change. VegFest Mela is designed for the communities and is powered and empowered by the people and communities.”
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