The installation of Village School for Transfer of Knowledge on Medicinal Plants in Sohparu village in  West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya under the FARM North East Phase II programme. The school was established on the auspicious day of World Environment day 2018 to inculcate the feeling of preservation of herbal medicinal plants and environment.

The inception of having such herbal medicinal school came from Caritas India’s State Officer of NE zone, Prabal Sen, who insisted in reviving the traditional wisdom and practices which were slowly vanishing from the community. The school could help in knowledge transfer and continuing the traditional heritage of the communities intact and preserved. According to him such wisdoms are fast eroding from the ethnic societies and NGOs and institutions are limited to only documenting such practices. Therefore, this intervention could well be a step in popularising traditional practices and ensuring they remain in the community.

Mingstar Kharjarin, the traditional practitioner in the village was identified as the main instructor in the school to teach students with theory and practical session for preparing herbal medicines. The school started running smoothly with the limited students.

The sudden demise of Mingstar Kharajarin put everything on a standstill but the family of Mingstar became the silver lining in the cloud and decided to carry forward his legacy and volunteered to run the school for the benefit of the people. Late Mingstar’s wife and children have been able to imbibe the traditional wisdom from him and they were very closely involved in learning from the Legend.  The people of Sohparu have named the school in loving memory of Mingstar. The community along with Nongstoin Social Service Society (NSSS) team encouraged Mongstar’ family for practising medicinal herbs by following the footstep of their beloved Father to fulfil his dream and managing the family.

“We aspire that this traditional practice should be preserved, nourished and enriched by the people and we are working on exploring possibilities to replicate this model elsewhere and also bring it to the notice of the State Government,” expressed Fr George Lyngdoh, Director, NSSS. The organisation is also working on a medicinal plants manual which could be part of the curriculum in the schools for children to learn and practice.

Golenstar Marwein volunteered to help the villager in running the school for the past four months after the demise of Late Mingstar. His wife along with the volunteer started the school once in a week. As of now, 13 students are attending the school regularly.

According to Ms Roseline Marshillong, Programme Coordinator, FARM, “During 2019 NSSS contributed Rs.5000 to develop the medicinal garden of the school and the village are volunteering in constructing the garden by contributing sand, stone and labourer to complete the garden. After the completion of FARM phase II, the community is taking steps and have contributed Rs 15,000 to expand the community medicinal garden.

The community has planted 20 medicinal herbs in the garden and managing the medicinal school. Now the popularity of the school has reached outside the village and people from other villages come to learn in this medicinal school.

Caritas India takes pride in sharing how a small intervention has been able to involve the community to lead from the front in ensuring that such rich wisdom is not only documented but are also kept intact among the people. Mingstar has been a legend and a champion of taking forward such a noble cause and Caritas India extends her heartfelt gratitude to him.