C-NES Retreat at Umiam (23rd- 25th October, 2008)
Welcome address by Sanjoy Hazarika, Managing Trustee, C-NES. Sitting on his right is Dr Jayanta Madhab, Advisor to the Chief Minister of Assam, and Life Trustee of C-NES and to his left is eminent journalist Patricia Mukhim, Editor, Shillong Times and Term Trustee, C-NES. To the extreme left is Dr Hafizul Rahman, Medical Officer, C-NES, Dhemaji.
A two and a half day Retreat for C-NES staff was organized at the picturesque Orchid Resort, at Barapani, Meghalaya overlooking the Umiam Lake from 23- 25 October 2008, 14 Kms. from Shillong, capital of Meghalaya. The lake is a product of a hydro-electric dam built on the Umiam River in the 1960s and is the first such project in this region. Thirty one C-NES staff led by the Managing Trustee, Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika, gathered at the resort for the event. The resource persons for the same were Dr. Jayanta Madhab, Adviser to the Chief Minister of Assam and Life Trustee, C-NES, Ms Patricia Mukhim, Editor, Shillong Times and Term Trustee, C-NES, Dr Mahfuza Rahman, Professor of Geography, Cotton College Guwahati and Term Trustee, C-NES, Mr Dilip Chandan, Editor, Asom Bani and member Advisory Council, C-NES and Dr Sandi Syiem, Psychiatrist and Director of San-Ker Rehabilitation Centre, Shillong and member, Advisory Council, C-NES.
The retreat ends- the team takes a photograph with the Managing Trustee, Sanjoy Hazarika and Dr Sandi Syiem, noted psychiatrist and member C-NES Advisory Council (standing extreme right)
An energetic Cricket team
The team poses for a shot after a strenuous climb during the morning trek on 24th October.
Welcoming everyone, Mr. Hazarika said the Retreat would be a period of reflection, and also an opportunity to know each other and understand C-NES’ work better. He hoped that the organization would go back stronger as a team. He further mentioned that international organizations were coming to see C-NES’ work and the organization’s presence has been felt both nationally and internationally. This was a time therefore, for some introspection- about how the team members can give greater depth to the work that the organization does and its relevance in a changing world.
Dr. Madhab congratulated C-NES for being able to perform what the Government could not achieve of reaching the unreached, the ‘unbanked’ so called, because few have bank account in the chars/saporis areas where C-NES has been working through the Boat Clinics. Citing the example of the Bangladesh Grameen Bank and the role of its mentor, Mohammed Yunus, he said that the concept of micro credit was extremely important for these char/ sapori areas. C-NES with its local presence can play the role of catalyst in bringing about development in these areas of acute poverty through providing micro credit facilities, which would give them relief from money lenders and also teach them the value of saving.
Ms Mukhim shared her thoughts on ”The missing factor women and children in an unequal world’” She commended the work done by C-NES in reducing the IMR and MMR in the saporis and stressed the importance of documentation in capturing such best practices.
Dr Rahman’s, presentation was on ‘Participation, Participatory Process and Learning”. Dr. Syiem talked about the importance of psychiatric treatment for the people of the chars/saporis.
There were relaxing breaks in between the sessions and the retreat witnessed keen participation in the quiz session with Mr Hazarika as the Quiz Master, a music session, judged by Mr Chandan, a trek to the to the hilltop nearby and a lively cricket match with everyone joining in, entertained constantly by Manik Baruah, Enterprise Specialist, C-NES, and his running commentary. A documentary film “A River’s Story- The quest for the Brahmaputra” was also screened, directed by noted film Director, Jahnu Baruah with the script written by Sanjoy Hazarika.
Concluding the retreat, Mr Hazarika and Mr Syiem agreed on holding a five day training for the Boat Clinic doctors at the San- ker Rehabilitation Centre, Shillong around February, 2009. It was proposed to make such Retreat as annual events: times of relaxation, reflection, bonding, inspiration and teamwork strengthening C-NES and its people.