About Mera Muhallah

I have lived in Qayyumabad for most of my life. The streets are full of familiar faces, people I have known since childhood. Aunties who would instantly recognize me and ask me about my mother’s health. It feels like an extended family I see on special occasions, usually at church or social gatherings, but also in the streets.

Being a Punjabi Christian and belonging to a minority group in Pakistan, safety has always been important to me. That is why most people choose to live in this area despite it having its fair share of issues. After moving away from home, I often recall my neighborhood—the smells, the sounds, the stories of people, the everyday interactions, and the church gatherings during Christmas and Easter. I know I spent a vibrant childhood belonging to a place that I can call home.

During the course of my FilmMemory Master’s, I learned about the many ways archives function. So I thought: what if I create an archive that can help me preserve my childhood, the area I lived in, and the community I know, whose stories matter?

Because of this, I turned to memory as a way of understanding the neighborhood. Toni Morrison describes memory as “the deliberate act of remembering, a form of willed creation.” Through conversations, photographs, and fragments collected from within the community, I began piecing together these memories, working with residents to describe the place in their own ways.

This digital archive, Mera Muhallah (My Neighborhood), brings together oral histories, archival material, present-day images, and lived experiences to document Qayyumabad from within. Beginning with my own family and growing outward, it is an attempt to hold onto what is often overlooked and to create a space where these stories can be seen, heard, and remembered. It remains open, evolving, and shaped by the people it represents.