Graduation Day!!
Today is TICH's 6th annual graduation ceremony. In addition to the regular students who are graduating with diplomas and higher diplomas, TICH is also graduating community health workers (CHWs) with certificates of achievement. This is the first time CHWs have been included in the graduation and there are 83 of them! They've worked hard this last year attending training sessions on agriculture and husbandry techniques and learning counseling skills.
Graduation begins with a Thanks Giving Service which includes communion, hosted by Rev. Obondi and Director Dan Kaseje. There are prayers, then speeches. Graduates come forward one by one to receive their diplomas from Chancellor Designate Omamo, a giant of a man who is a former member of parliament. Dan adorns each graduate with a sash bearing TICH's colors; blue and green. One graduate is named top student, but he is not present. He passed away from AIDS two weeks ago, so his widow comes forward to accept his award. His degree is conferred posthumously.
Five CHWs receive honors. Four of them are awarded a plough. As they come forward to accept their plough, their husbands rush across the green lawn to assist. They all bow toward Dan and toward Omamo, to show respect. Some people in the crowd mumble and grumble that the women did all the hard work and the men come forward to absorb the credit. There may be a bit of truth in this assessment, but some of the men actually do appear humble and appreciative. One CHW receives a voucher for a he-goat. But not just any he-goat. There seems to be a special breed coming from Naivasha, so she will receive one of these prized goats. Dan encourages the winners of the plough and the goat to share their prizes with their neighbors, perhaps charging a nonimal fee for the rental of the plough. He suggests the goat's seed be shared freely. Everyone snickers.
After the ceremony, our campus is full of graduates and international visitors. Not much work is being done, but there are lots of laughs and hand shakes and congratulations all around.
Graduation begins with a Thanks Giving Service which includes communion, hosted by Rev. Obondi and Director Dan Kaseje. There are prayers, then speeches. Graduates come forward one by one to receive their diplomas from Chancellor Designate Omamo, a giant of a man who is a former member of parliament. Dan adorns each graduate with a sash bearing TICH's colors; blue and green. One graduate is named top student, but he is not present. He passed away from AIDS two weeks ago, so his widow comes forward to accept his award. His degree is conferred posthumously.
Five CHWs receive honors. Four of them are awarded a plough. As they come forward to accept their plough, their husbands rush across the green lawn to assist. They all bow toward Dan and toward Omamo, to show respect. Some people in the crowd mumble and grumble that the women did all the hard work and the men come forward to absorb the credit. There may be a bit of truth in this assessment, but some of the men actually do appear humble and appreciative. One CHW receives a voucher for a he-goat. But not just any he-goat. There seems to be a special breed coming from Naivasha, so she will receive one of these prized goats. Dan encourages the winners of the plough and the goat to share their prizes with their neighbors, perhaps charging a nonimal fee for the rental of the plough. He suggests the goat's seed be shared freely. Everyone snickers.
After the ceremony, our campus is full of graduates and international visitors. Not much work is being done, but there are lots of laughs and hand shakes and congratulations all around.
posted by Cindi at 6:06 PM
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