Serving in Africa: Graduation

On Saturday, we had our graduation at the college. It was a 2 day event kicked off by a banquet Friday night. We had a guest choir that entertained us and great speaker who teaches at Scott Theological College. The banquet was a special time where each student was allowed to bring three guests. They were each allowed to introduce the people they had choose to bring to the event. It was touching to hear about the people the students choose to bring. Almost all of them brought their pastor as one of their special guests as they were instrumental in encouraging them and helping to see that they had enough school fees to get through their four years. Others had mothers, brothers, sisters, and special friends. All people that had been instrumental in helping them complete their four year diploma. Most students seemed to form committees to help them get through the four years especially in regards to obtaining school fees. The committee's organized harambees (african style fundraisers) and mobilized the local church to contribute to the students education. So, the graduation of a single student here is truly a victory for the entire community they come from! That is why it is such a big deal to celebrate and celebrate well!

Saturday was a big deal as whole communities were allowed to attend the ceremony. For the procession into the ceremony we essentially walked the entire perimeter of the campus being led by the local Salvation Army marching band. We walked in unison...although that is a struggle for this tall mzungu first to keep the beat then because my step is a bit bigger than most of the others in the line. Made for an awkward walking mzungu. Our friend Steve saw the video after and was just laughing at me and how I was trying to walk with the rest but couldn't!

The ceremony was about 3 hours in length. We had many songs from the local church choir, speeches, testimonies, more official words, and then eventually the presentation of the diplomas. After, diplomas we headed off for a group picture of faculty and staff. Before we could even get the photo off the students were swarmed by their communities who covered them in wreaths and other celebratory items! We finally got the picture off. Then the faculty and special guests were whisked off to the main office to share a meal together. While the students and their communities each staked out a piece of the property around our campus. They all had their own services of celebration and a meal together right there on campus. Gift giving and food eating all included. We saw a number of boxes tied up that most certainly had live chickens in them! A special gift indeed! Also, as the faculty and spouses ate there were all kinds of whoops and hollers erupting from the campus as the families and communities celebrated together with their student. Later in the evening the students and their families would all leave together. Generally, what happens is that they rent a matatu and then are able to get it to take them express back to their villages and towns.