A kantha training programme for rural women was initiated with the help of Mr. P.K.Mishra, DM 24 Pgs [N]. A few women from MKC were sent to Gandhi Ashram, and another group to the centre for women in the Deganga BDO’s office, to train local women in the finer points of this new avtar of the quilting stitch, decorative kantha.

Ms. Beatrice Derval from France was in Kolkata and held an intensive 2 week training programme for vegetable dyeing and Shibori [it is a batik-like dyeing technique in Japan] in Deganga and Garia.

These two projects went off well, except that the Gandhi Ashram has been closed for the past few months, and the training programme has come to a grinding halt.  Mr Vinod Kumar **, from Deganga, is carrying on with the project, with the help of ladies who were trained by MKC trainers. Efforts are being made to engage women from Deganga in kantha embroideries. 

The main challenge in these areas was the marketing of kantha. A few options were pursued, but none of these have met with any success.

**Mr Vinod Kumar has also indicated that he would like Calcutta Foundation to be involved with rehabilitation of child labour, but this has not been discussed in detail, yet.