It was everywhere.  On their faces.  In their voices. Between hugs and hand-holding.  In the singing and laughing, drumming and dancing, story-telling and reflecting.  There was so much joy.  And we have so much to celebrate today: our school history; our first graduating class; the full endorsement of the village council; and the bright futures and bold dreams of our students.

Today, we honored our first graduating class with an all-out graduating ceremony at HOCET Secondary School.  HSS students decorated campus, performed music and drama, prepared a wonderful meal for everyone, shared personal stories, offered their congratulations and words of encouragement, and worked with staff to coordinate the entire event.  It was a beautiful and inspiring day.

We were so grateful to the Shungubweni Village Council Chairperson for being one of our honorary guests, and for making an unplanned speech during the ceremony in which he publically extended the full support of the village council, and thanked us for bringing education and opportunity to the children of Shungubweni.  HSS will continue to reserve 5 seats for Shungubweni’s most vulnerable teens each year, as it has since its founding in 2007.

I also had the opportunity to say a few words to our graduates.  I thanked them for their courage and for helping us build this school, brick by brick.  They’ve been with us from the very beginning, when HSS was just a 3-room school house — no books, no floors, no bedframes, no power, no proper toilet.  They know the history of HSS better than anyone.  And they will always be a part of our story.

I also reminded them that our support doesn’t stop here; that we will always be with them, here to support them as they pursue their dreams.  I asked them to continue to come back to us, to remind us of where we’ve come from, and to remind us of why we are here.  There is no ceiling above them.  Anything is possible.

The graduates had a message for us, too.  They thanked us for believing in them, and for bringing hope and opportunity back into their lives.  When we had found them, they said, their hope had been lost.  And now everything has changed.  They believe their dreams are possible.  They believe in what they can accomplish.

They also challenged us to push ahead and finish the work we’ve started here.  On behalf of the students they are leaving behind, they made three bold requests:

1. HSS needs a full library that is not shared with the teacher office.  We want to read and study freely without disturbing the teachers.  And we need more books and more resources for learning and researching.
2. HSS needs a reliable power supply and a way for students to have light at night in their dormitories after study hours end and campus power is turned off.
3. HSS needs a means of transportation for emergencies, so that in cases of illness or injury we can quickly transport students & staff to the nearby village clinic or back to Dar to a hospital.  The nearest clinic is a 45-minute walk, the nearest bus stop is a 2-hour walk from school, and buses are not available between 8pm – 6am.

Kujali and HOCET will be meeting together to discuss how we can move forward as quickly as possible with these requests, in honor of our graduates.  We invite you to help us sort out solutions for these challenges.

Here are a few ways you can help today:

Buy a personal solar lamp for $20 per student as we work on school-wide solar solutions.

Donate or sponsor a vehicle for HSS. We just received a letter from the government last month that will permit us to import books, computers, and a vehicle 100% free of tax.

Organize a book drive and send them to HSS. Contact us at info@kujali.org to get started!

To our supporters and friends who have joined us all along the way over the last 5 years – I want to thank you for being a part of our work and for making our impact possible.  You were with us yesterday.

With gratitude,

Sydney