KARACHI, 12 March 2004 — Omar Shah Colony is slightly better than a slum. The small mud and concrete houses have dozens of inhabitants each, and ill-clad little children played on the streets. A group of young, enthusiastic women smiled nervously and let me into what they called their school.
Here the women were being taught free of charge the American art of quilt-making.
Fate had worked in mysterious ways. Atiya Suhail learned quilting as a hobby, a decade ago in California. Salma, a resident of Dhahran was visiting Boston during the Iraq war and was upset at the bloodshed and horror. She desperately felt the need to do something good and peaceful. She received a present — a mug which read: “Blessed are the quilters for they are the real piece makers.” That gave her an idea, and she teamed up with Salma Atiya. Piece Makers was born.
A small room was fixed up as a school in Omar Colony. The basti women were told to enroll so that they could learn a new craft. Unfortunately, many met with opposition from the male members of their family, even though these classes were only two hours per week. The men told them, “Stay home or find something more lucrative.”
Ultimately only seven women joined the school. Tahira, the project manager (who is also the daughter of famous television actor, Latif Kapadia) told Arab News: “They did not see that these women were learning a craft that would ultimately earn them money.”
Atiya Suhail, the teacher, faced a very challenging class. “These women are intelligent, but they have no sense of value. They would come into the class and gossip about things in their community. Quilting requires a lot of patience and attention. These women were easily discouraged and would refuse to fix their mistakes, saying it was too time-consuming; they had a lot of chores at home. But the most positive thing is that they show up every week.
“Both Tahira and I have had to give the women a pep talk nearly every day. They have not seen the world; they do not know what competition is. We constantly have to tell them that they will be successful only if they work hard.”
Twenty-two-year-old Sumaira is from Balakot. Her husband is a day laborer.
He did not object to her going out and learning a skill. Sumaira dreams of learning quilting and then teaching others. “We observe strict purdah, so this is something I can do sitting at home.”
Zahida is 19, 20 or 21. “I’m not sure,” she told me. She is from Multan. The most hardworking, she is also the poorest. Her father died and she and her five sisters have to try and make a living. “We can hardly make ends meet. I dream of having my own business. I want so much to be successful and independent,” she said. “But I get nervous. Every time I cut a piece of cloth, my hands tremble.”
Anwer Bibi, in her early 50s, is the oldest member of the class. She is an expert rilli maker but now she wants to learn quilting, hoping to make more money. “You can learn at any age, provided you have faith in your heart and a burning desire to learn,” she tells me.
Why teach them a foreign trade? Though quilting originated in India hundreds of years ago, it is associated with the pioneering women of America.
“Things are changing rapidly in the market,” Tahira said. “Blankets are replaced by comforters. Quilting has made an appearance in Pakistan. I am sure this trend will catch on. It may take a couple of years, which is fine. I want our women to be able to capture that market. We want them to stand on their feet economically. And I think they will.”
Will the poor, semi-literate women of Baluch Colony achieve their dreams?
Only time will tell, but there is no shortage of enthusiasm and willingness to learn. The Japanese, who have learned the art of quilting from the Americans, took it to new heights. A single Japanese quilt has fetched up to $20,000. Maybe these women will have similar luck. They have already found a patron. South Asia Research Institute for Policy and Development — a non-profit, self-financing organization, founded in Boston by a Pakistani American, Javed Sultan, now provides material and equipment for the class.
