On the occasion of Rotary—UN Day on November 7, a phulkari tapestry made by the women and girls of a vocational training centre in Bassi Pathana, a small township in Punjab, graced the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, New York.

But only a few will know the stories behind tapestry, of the women who made it.

Coming from poor families, these girls and women have lived impoverished, shadowy lives. Thankfully, now they seem infused with enthusiasm for a better life, courtesy the consistent efforts of Mehar Baba Charitable Trust (MBCT), which runs the vocational centre.

Joining the centre has been the turning point in the lives of hundreds of women living in Bassi Pathana, and in villages in Fatehgarh Sahib district. At the centre, these girls learn tailoring and various kinds of embroidery, from the rich phulkari and zardosi to intricate machine embroidery as well and jewellery designing.

Training is provided to the girls at the Mata Harnam Kaur Community Development Centre, owned by the Mejie family. Says Professor Hardarshan Singh Mejie, the founder trustee, “When we opened the centre in 2006, people told us that we can give training to the girls on normal sewing machines. But we want our trainees to be good enough to work in the industry too, and hence imported suitable Japanese machines for them.” The centre runs two batches — one in the morning and another in the evening — for the seven-month training course, with about a 100 trainees in each batch.

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