Educator makes virtual return to her Brantford roots to assist Sikh children

 According to Educator makes virtual return to her Brantford roots to assist Sikh children “ An educator, entrepreneur and founder of Patka Box made a virtual return to her Brantford roots.

Rosey Kaur, CEO Concept1 Learning Centre Inc., explained the value and importance of her product at a Brantford City Council committee-of-the-whole meeting.

“It was really quite emotional for me,” Kaur said in an interview following the January 13 meeting. “I was born and raised in Brantford and that’s where I went to school.

“That is where it all began for me and I had an opportunity to return and speak to city councillors about something that’s important to me and people of my faith.”

Kaur is the daughter of the late Rawal Singh, who died in 2013, and Ranjit Kaur, who lives in Hamilton. Kaur’s brother Dr. Onkar Singh is a naturopathic doctor in Brantford and her other brother, Dr. Ravinder Singh, is a surgeon in North Bay.

Kaur said her parents came to Brantford in 1973 from India to build a life and raise a family. At that time, there were about five Sikh families in Brantford. Her best guess is that there are now about 600 to 800 Sikh families in and around Brantford.

Her father worked at Massey Ferguson for more than 25 years and was a prominent member of the community who built Brantford’s  first Sikh Gurudwara. Kaur’s mother had a managerial position at K-Mart and worked there for 25 years.

Kaur spoke at the committee meeting in support of a proposal brought forward by Coun. Rose Sicoli.

Noting that the patka is a significant article of faith, Sicoli’s proposal calls for the city to have Patka Boxes in city-owned facilities. The box is an educational and cultural resource that provides the materials and instructions needed to help Sikh children when the patka becomes loose and needs to be retied.

“This is a small but meaningful initiative that supports Sikh children and families when the patka – the head dressing – comes undone in public spaces like community centres, recreational facilities and libraries,” Sicoli said. “This initiative is about dignity and it’s about making sure our buildings are welcoming for everyone.

“This is about faith and when it becomes undone in public and nobody knows what to do, the child feels exposed, embarrassed and the adults around them feel helpless because they don’t know what to do.”

The patka box solves the problem, Sicoli said.

The Ward 1 councillor said Brantford is growing, becoming much more diverse and more connected. Putting a box in community centres is a way of showing the city’s commitment to inclusivity is more than just a slogan.

Councillors have recommended for approval, a resolution directing staff to work with Kaur to assess the suitability, availability and requirements to place the boxes in city-owned facilities. The resolution also calls for staff to identify appropriate locations.

The committee’s decision will come before council for approval on Jan. 27