NGOs reach out to visitors at PITEX

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 8

Amid 425 stalls at the Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX), a dedicated corner for NGOs and self-help groups is being used as a platform for public outreach. The fair also attracts a good number of shoppers, who generously open their pockets for empowering the needy.

This year, Phulkari, a self-help group of women, from Chamkaur Sahib is impressing the visitors with its beautifully woven designs and equally vibrant smiles. Leading these women is 40-year old Jaspal Kaur, an artiste, who says their effort is to revive the traditional handicraft of Punjab and also make rural women self-reliant.

“Most women, who work with us, belonged to lower income families. I too started learning phulkari after my marriage. Today, we manage to make an earning of up to Rs50,000 per month, depending on the design and demand of Phulkari items,” said Jaspal, whose husband is a daily wager.

Hundreds of women from villages in Chamkaur Sahib and nearby areas have associated themselves with Phulkari and create different products, including duppattas, bags, home furnishings and phulkari souvenirs.

“The designs take 15 days to a month depending on the intricacy and detailing. Since phulkari is known across the world, we get good orders and also teach young girls,” she said. They travel to places like Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Delhi to participate in festivals and expos for direct selling. The fact that they can now be financially independent is a perk they have come to enjoy.

Organic products are also inviting a lot of buyers and promoters at PITEX. Local organic farmers and NGOs working with them have put up stalls to promote organic food products and items such as jute and cloth bags. 

A local farmer, Sultan Singh Bhinder, who has brought turmeric and aloe vera-based products, said the response had been good towards organic stalls. “As more people become aware and demand organic food items, expos such as PITEX are a direct platform between the consumer and producers to sell their products and earn their due.”