TUTU RURAL Trainining Center

16/09/2026

16/09/2026

A Proud Day for Tutu Rural Training Centre!

Today, we proudly celebrate two former graduates of Tutu Rural Training Centre (TRTC) who have been recognised with awards at today’s Agriculture Awards.
Their achievement is a wonderful testimony to what can happen when rural young people are given the opportunity to develop their skills, work the land, build their enterprises, and believe in their future.
For Tutu, graduation is not the end of the journey. Our hope is that every participant returns to the land equipped to become a productive farmer, entrepreneur, leader, and contributor to the wellbeing of their family and community.
Congratulations to our two former graduates! Your recognition today is also an encouragement to our current Young Farmers and all our past participants: the land has a future, agriculture has a future, and our young people have an important place in that future.
From training to farming. From farming to enterprise. From enterprise to a better rural future.

Congratulations! Tutu is proud of you!

01/09/2026

TRTC Opens the Season of Creation 2026

Theme: “Living Water” – Ezekiel 47:9, 12

Today, the Tutu Rural Training Centre (TRTC) officially opened the Season of Creation with the celebration of Holy Mass at our Our Lady of Lura Grotto, together with our staff and their families.
This year's theme, “Living Water,” draws us to the beautiful vision of the prophet Ezekiel:

“Wherever the river flows, every living creature will live… On both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow.”

— Ezekiel 47:9, 12

Celebrating at the Lura Grotto reminds us also of Our Lady of Lourdes, where water has become a powerful sign of prayer, hope, healing and God's grace. As the waters of Lourdes remind us of God's healing presence, the Season of Creation calls us to participate in the healing of our common home.

Living water needs living soil.

This speaks directly to the mission of TRTC. Our work with rural people is inseparable from caring for the land that sustains them. Healthy soil holds water, nourishes crops, supports biodiversity and provides food and livelihoods for our families and communities. Caring for our soil, protecting our water sources and farming responsibly are therefore not simply agricultural practices—they are acts of stewardship.
As we begin this Season of Creation, everyone living and working at Tutu is encouraged to plant and care for at least one tree. Let every tree become a living sign of our commitment to restoring the soil, protecting water, caring for creation and leaving something good for the generations who will come after us.
We remember especially in our prayers all our current participants and former participants. May the values learned at Tutu continue to flow into their farms, families and communities. May they care for their soil, protect their water sources, plant trees and become good stewards of the land entrusted to them.
Like the river in Ezekiel, may the work flowing from Tutu continue to bring life wherever it goes—to our farms, our families, our villages and our communities.

Our Lady of Lura, pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

May living water bring healing to our people and to our common home.
Season of Creation 2026 – Living Water

20/08/2026

A Significant Day for TRTC and Tutu

Today marks a **significant moment for Tutu Rural Training Centre (TRTC)** in two special ways.

We proudly celebrated the graduation of 36 registered SME single women who have completed six months of formation and training in vegetable production, sewing, contemporary and traditional art, food and nutrition security, and personal human development.

Their graduation is more than the completion of a course. It is a celebration of **growth, confidence, skills and new possibilities**. We congratulate each of these women and pray that the knowledge, skills and values they have gained will strengthen their families and communities.

Today also marked an important milestone in the ongoing development of **Tutu** with the **opening of the Young Farmers’ Dormitory**. This new facility will provide greater opportunities for young rural people to access training, formation and practical skills for their future.

We gratefully acknowledge the **Government of Fiji through the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways for its support and funding**, which has contributed to making this important development possible. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the **McVerry family** for their generosity and support towards the continuing mission and development of Tutu.

Both occasions express the same mission at the heart of TRTC: **to invest in rural people, create opportunities, and nurture the God-given gifts and potential of each person.**

Today, we give thanks to God for our **36 graduates**, their families, our trainers and staff, the Government of Fiji, the McVerry family, our partners, supporters and all who continue to believe in and contribute to the mission of Tutu.
Congratulations to our 36 graduates!**

May the skills you have gained become **seeds of hope, dignity and transformation** in your families and communities.

And may the new Young Farmers’ Dormitory become a place where young people are formed, inspired and empowered to use their **God-given gifts** for the good of their families, communities and Fiji.

**Tutu continues to invest in people, nurture gifts and create opportunities for rural communities to flourish.

17/07/2026

Months of celebration, faithful service, and meaningful ministry at Tutu Rural Training Centre.** We give thanks to God for all that has been accomplished through learning, fellowship, and service. As one chapter concludes, we now look ahead with hope and purpose, planning for the month ahead. May the Lord continue to guide our work, strengthen our community, and bless all who are part of this mission.

06/05/2026

TRTC Parents Course 2026 Begins with Landcare Launch

The Parents Course officially commenced from 4th–7th May 2026, bringing together parents and guardians as an important part of the holistic development journey of our Young Farmers Program.
This year’s course was especially meaningful as participants were also part of the official launching of the Landcare Initiative – “Our Land, Our Future, For the Love of Soil”, attended by the First Secretary of the NZ High Commission.
The Parents Course continues to strengthen the partnership between families, the vanua, and TRTC in supporting the growth of young farmers not only in agriculture, but also in leadership, responsibility, and community wellbeing. Parents were encouraged to walk together with their children in building resilient livelihoods, protecting the land, and strengthening food security for future generations.
The gathering also highlighted the importance of:
Soil stewardship and land restoration
Family support in youth development
Climate-smart farming practices
Vanua-based values and responsibility
Building sustainable rural livelihoods
TRTC believes that empowering young farmers begins with empowering families and communities. Together, we continue to nurture hope, resilience, and a future rooted in the land.

01/05/2026

Positive feedback continues to flow in on the newly launched Smart Practices Farmers Manual developed for TRTC participants.

The manual has been well received by current participants, instructors, and community farmers for its practical and easy-to-understand approach towards sustainable agriculture and rural enterprise development.
The guide covers important areas such as Soil Health, Vegetable Production, Fruit Development, Legumes and Crops, Financial Literacy, and SMART farming practices that strengthen food security and climate resilience within the Vanua.
Participants have expressed appreciation for the hands-on learning approach, noting that the manual will continue to support them both during training at Tutu and back in their communities through their home-based farming activities.
TRTC acknowledges all partners, experts, and contributors who helped design this important resource to empower youth and rural communities towards self-reliance, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.
Learning by doing for a better rural future.”

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