Graduation Day

 Transformation is a word we use a lot at Theodora Africa. But like so many words dealing with social impact, it can be thrown around like some fancy word du jour without understanding the depth that a real transformation means.

So it was that I was quite humbled by the experience of our Theodora group going through their 'graduation' and receiving their 'certificates'. When the idea was broached to me by one of my key advisors in Ghana, I didn't think much of it. I figured, fine, we will do it. It will be a nice thing. But it didn't seem to me that important. Man, was I wrong. 

First, I give all credit to my Ghanaian colleague. He went out of his way to make sure that the certificates we gave out meant something. He registered the course details with the Department of Social Welfare as part of our NGO in Ghana. And he made sure that I had a program organized to present them. What I did not realize but he did, was just how important getting a certificate is in a country like Ghana. All our candidates have expressed in their stories how not having a certificate was a major reason they couldn't get work and resorted to sex work. So getting a legitimate certificate of educational achievement and vocational ability was a big deal

But even more, the true transformation our people have experienced by being believed in and supported, by doing true, meaningful work for others, by earning a real living wage, is hard to express in words. So I am going to let pictures from our graduation even tell their own story.

 

A number of the women spoke quite eloquently about their experience. This recording is a bit difficult to understand in the beginning but by the end I think you will get the message.