RURAL RESOURCE AND TRAINING CENTRE, UMRAN, MEGHALAYA

Rural Resource & Training Centre, Umran, Meghalaya

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A visit to the North East by a man of cloth like me, would necessarily entail interactions with Christian, usually Catholic institutions. After each such visit, I become enamoured and mesmerised by the kind of work accomplished by the Salesians of Don Bosco in this region. They have made the region grow, and they too have grown in numbers and spread along with that. Presently, they have 4 provinces - Shillong, Guwahati, Dimapur and Kolkota - in this region. Today, from Siloam, where our 3 day workshop on Church of India (and Asia) in preparation for COP30 is held, we were blessed with an exposure visit, led by 3 eminent bishops to another centre of excellence by the Salesians. We had Archbishop John of Guwahati leading the trek around the sprawling rural development centre on the Shillong - Guwahati route, about 2 kilometres to the east.

A vision for sustainable rural development by Salesians of North East, earlier a centre under Don Bosco Outreach, now independently under the Shillong province. 350 acres of land with models and provisions for training in Dairy, Piggery, Horticulture, Organic farming, Pisciculture, Apiary, vermi composting, food processing etc. About 120 ponds, 150 beehives (annual production 2 tonnes) and staff 65 - Green gospel of Bread for the Hungry. Hats off to the visionary Salesians, especially, late Fr Mathachan. Present directors: Fr Keni Pagma and Anugrah. And as would befit our calling and training, ending with reflective sharing of our gleanings for the day guided by a junior Tissian Rev. Fr. Joseph Gonsalves. The reflections are energising - bringing bread to the hungry (livelihood training) by being co-creators, improved vegetation and introduction of new income generating fruit trees indicating the institutional growth, the great water resources and their management, experiment of land use by people who are permitted to produce on the land, importance of proper land management etc.

Some websites show the name St. Joseph's for the centre, even their calendar shows that; but generally, it is known in the secular name of RRTC. Apparently, even the government taps their resources for training government staff and others. I also read a blog by a young enthusiast who was privileged to explore this region thanks to the RYLA camp held at RRTC way back in 2012.

The institution is now more than 30 years old, as vouched by two of our senior participants who have been there more than 25 years ago. Received as a marshy swamp, it has been converted into a model of agroforestry, with the waters collected into the ponds spotted all over the campus. There is a check dam to retain water and release as required.