Celebrating Amala’s newest graduates in Amman and Kakuma
In February and March, 52 young people graduated from Amala’s Global Secondary Diploma (GSD) in Amman and Kakuma, joyful celebrations of their time throughout the programme, their achievements, and the community they have built over the last fifteen months.
At the heart of Amala’s education model is the development of agency, and Amala graduation ceremonies are no different. In Jordan, our students took an active role in organising elements of the celebration, with dancing, speeches and even a student art exhibition at the graduation venue. The students also collaborated to create their own song which they showed at the celebration. In Kakuma, the ceremony was also student-led, performing a song at the end of the ceremony that they had written together.
Supported by friends, family and mentors, the students from the fourth cohort of the Amala GSD in Kakuma and the fifth in Jordan marked not just the completion of their secondary education, but the beginning of new journeys.
Through Amala’s GSD, students explore and make steps towards onward pathways. At least six of our new graduates are going on to University of the People. Bahaa, the photographer who exhibited his work at graduation, is working in the field and is also studying a photography course, having developed his skills through the Personal Interest Project component of the GSD. Riyam is enrolled at Quinsigmond Community College, studying interactive media. Others have been shortlisted for scholarships.
Bahaa, the graduate and photographer at his exhibition in the graduation venue.
Abdelhamid, Amala Educator and Amala GSD alumnus himself, reflects on the significance of the celebration in Amman:
To me, the graduation day of my students was even bigger than my own. Many feelings were in the air, it's that type of feeling that makes you want to call your mom and tell her about it (I did that). It's so fulfilling to see these young people who I have spent 15 months with graduate - it feels like seeing your kids graduate from school, even though some of these people are older than me.
Abdelhamid delivering his graduation speech
The graduation was filled with talent. Throughout, the students delivered a ceremony to be remembered. They created a movie highlighting their journey, which moved me a lot and I witnessed some tears in the audience.
This may sound selfish, but the highlight of the day was when I had to deliver my speech. I just spoke my heart out, expressing my gratitude, pride, and happiness to see my beloved students become graduates. The first Friday after graduation felt so empty, but this is life, we move on, and I’m sure they’ll go far.
In Kakuma, the ceremony was attended by members of the Amala Global Team, who were working from the camp for the week of the graduation.
Elissavet, Global Manager for the GSD, explains the impact of Amala that she has witnessed on our newest graduates in Kakuma.
It is very special to be able to attend graduation, and an experience that we in the Global Team might not have the opportunity to have as frequently as our colleagues who work with the students at the learning centers. Kakuma Camp is not an easy environment to navigate and you can really see the pride that everyone, students, families, community members and the team take in reaching this milestone of graduating from the GSD. Every graduate came up to the stage to get their certificate with family and friends who were chanting and celebrating them. It was very clearly felt that it took a village for each of those graduates to make it to the finish line. The ceremony ended with all graduates dancing on stage, singing a song they had written about their time at Amala.
There was a lot of conversation about what the impact of the programme has been on the students: some talked about changes they see in themselves and in the way they navigate the world, some about small businesses they started, some about organisations they set up or places where they got employed. Emmanuel, for instance, has already been employed as a Changemaker Course facilitator at one of our partner organisations in Kalobeyei settlement. Esther, who started a small jewellery business, had a little stand with her creations in the graduation hall. Our partner, Samuel, who spoke at graduation shared that 60% of refugee-led organisations at Kalobeyei settlement have either been founded or are being led by Amala alumni. It was very powerful and hugely motivating to be able to witness some of that impact while in Kakuma and hear our students and partners stories and plans for the future.
Learn more about the Amala Global Secondary Diploma.
See previous Amala graduations.