We recently celebrated with 12 of our students who finished their secondary or vocational school training at the end of 2018. These students have worked hard during their time in school and this is a great accomplishment to finish and pass their national exams. And so we celebrate!
We gathered all of the families and students currently in our program as well as some local village leaders to join in the festivities. The graduates were decked out in caps and gowns and entered the gathering with a processional march to their seats of honor at the front of the room. After the normal greetings, the graduates were offered time to share testimony of what the day and the accomplishment meant to them. A few students welcomed this opportunity to offer their thanks as they likely would not be standing as graduates without the generous support of our donors. They also expressed their gratitude for what they have learned from various counseling, guidance, or visitation sessions through the years and how they have already been able to and also plan to apply those things learned in their lives.
A guest speaker come to impart an encouraging message and the local leaders were also given a few minutes to challenge the students and parents. The gathering culminated in handing each graduate a certificate of recognition of their accomplishment from our program…and then taking lots of photos! Finally, we enjoyed Fanta (soda) and amandazi (bread) for everyone at the gathering and a special lunch at a local restaurant for the graduates and their parents.
These annual graduation celebrations are always an important time to commemorate the efforts of the students who are finishing and encourage the younger ones to strive towards the goal of their own graduation. It is also a hopeful time—seeing the potential in these graduates and anticipating all that they will continue to accomplish with the gifts and knowledge they possess.
Hannah Ingram
Interim Executive Director & Program Director
Urugo Care Rwanda