The visitors stopped as the scholarship students blocked the road. It was all about the surprise. At the gate, the brightly dressed musicians and dancers with painted faces eagerly waited. Then the signal was given to begin.
The procession was lively as the honored guests were accompanied into the site, drums pounding, cymbals clanging and piper piping. The visitors shook hands with the bystanders, clapped to the beat and tried to dance and be part of the celebration. Local villagers and their children in school uniforms lining the route bowed and smiled as each Canadian walked by.
The special treatment was to continue throughout the morning: their national flag draped among the others at the front of the seating for special guests; a brightly decorated and draped canopy with rotating fans inside to keep them cool; copies of speeches in English and a translator to ensure they understood what was said; bottles of cool water to keep them comfortable.
Leaders and dignitaries made speeches that affirmed the commitment of those present to the start of the new Bakong Technical College and the need for cooperation and participation from not only government, but also poor families whose children will soon receive a higher level of education. The goal? A higher standard of living for local children than the poverty they have grown up in.
When the ceremony ended, some 30 students received new bicycles thanks to Rotary Clubs in Orillia and Bracebridge. For the first time, they will not be missing school frequently because the dozens of miles in the walk home is just too much to expect a young kid to do every day.
For the visitors from Canada, the hard work was about to begin. The happiness and appreciation they experienced at the ribbon cutting ceremony was a wonderful way to kick off the project and show them just what a difference their efforts will make.
By Debra
No comments:
Post a Comment