Graduation Day!

On June 11th, the Elikya Center class of 2010-2011 graduated! The day before and the morning of the ceremony was crazy. So many people were here preparing the yard for the ceremony…setting up tarps, chairs, tables and various items made here at Elikya. The yard looked fantastic and you could feel the excitement of the students as they practiced the songs they would sing for the ceremony. We originally thought the ceremony was supposed to begin at 1PM, but then we heard from Mowa that it was starting at 12PM. Then, we found out all the invitations that were sent out said the ceremony started at 10AM! So guests began arriving at 10 O’clock but no one was ready to begin the ceremony, so those guests just sat and waited.



Sam and I were helping Mowa print ceremony programs and get a few other things ready while Aaron and Michelle had taken our short-term team to visit a cave that is a few miles from Elikya. The sky was overcast and the temperature was very pleasant…perfect for an outdoor ceremony. Suddenly, at about 11:15 we heard the students singing and realized the processional had already begun! Sam rushed out the door to start recording the ceremony and I quickly changed into nicer clothes and joined the guests. Aaron, Michelle and the team showed up a few minutes later and rushed to change for the ceremony, too.

All the graduates singing at the beginning of the ceremony

The graduates sang two songs and during their second song it began to rain lightly. By the time they had finished the song the rain was pouring and everyone was scrambling to find shelter because the tarps that were set up were not holding off the rain water. The students began grabbing all the nice things that were set up outside and put them inside the training building while the guests found shelter under roofs and inside classrooms. Sam even slipped and fell into the mud and barely saved our camera from being destroyed. We sat in one of the classrooms for about an hour with other guests as the wind blew and the rain poured. It finally let up enough for everyone to set up chairs around the building under the roof and the ceremony began again.





Mowa addressing the crowd when the ceremony began again

Each student received a diploma, a Bible and some tools or a sewing machine to take back home. Even though the ceremony didn’t exactly go as planned it was an encouraging time for the students and there was a lot of excitement among the graduates.

Ravis with a big smile as he receives his diploma




Sylvie and Marta celebrating after receiving diplomas and sewing machines

The rain had completely stopped by the end of the ceremony and we all shared a meal together. We took the opportunity to take plenty of photos with the graduates who will begin returning to their homes over the next week or two.

Aaron and Sam with Bio after the ceremony

Sarah, Nadege and Michelle