Graduation Poem: Heavy Blowing Wind

Heavy Blowing Wind

By Cairo Rudacyahwa

In a heavy blowing wind

In a storm beyond the mind

Critically very hard to define

Defense automatically denied

That’s when the right hand comes in

In a heavy blowing wind

Terribly destruction being anticipated

Marching here and there and still no way

When all the mountains falling down

That’s when the right hand comes in

In a heavy blowing wind

Moving ups and downs still nothing to find

The boundaries and limitations underlying the lives

In that juncture just feeling to be finished

That’s when the right hand comes in

Oh! the right hand the one that values

You the hand that saves for rescuing

You the hand that serves for living

You umbrella during that heavy rain

Ladies and gentlemen living under your shade

While it heavily blows from Eastern to westwards

All southern and northern only thorns

Storm ruling life and the mind to make up no choice

All the ways leading to Rome being absolutely messed up

That’s when the right hand stands up and comes in

Time too hard to accommodate and hard to believe

In those angles shivering and staying hopeless

All those corners like the shade of misfortunate

Always assessing and questioning this course of time

That’s when the right hand comes in

Having completed the primary education and stop

That’s situationally a heavy blowing wind

The fact of completing ordinary level and drop

That’s discouraging blowing wind

Oh! the right hand the one that came to save

Having completed the secondary education

And finally the scene being ended at that school

It’s self a very heavy terrible blowing wind

Imagine yourself and yourselves and flash back

Think of the right hand the hand that gives!

Life is a change life is a competence

Competing to develop knowledge and skills

Building competencies and values

Restricted and limited not to go to school

That’s a terribly a heavy dangerous blowing wind.

Giving you and you the fish will feed you a day

Teaching you to fish will undoubtedly sustain you a lifetime

And this is what the right hand is all about

Taking you to a better world through quality of education

Has importantly stopped a very dangerous blowing wind

Given a scholarships to different universities

That has been reaction about blowing wind

Rather It has been a light and strength to build your mind

If you cannot see it wait time and brain will tell

And good enough the time has come to exhibit the results

The fact of having engineers and lawyers is really the result

Psychologists and sociologists as well linguists are obviously the result

Economists and all others only few to mention is absolutely the result

It’s the most important feedback when we celebrate this graduation

You are no longer graduands and congratulation on you graduates

Being the ripe fruits, the right hand watered the tree in a desert

DAFI has been doing all the best to cater for us

ADRA and UNCHR!! I do not intend to shout but just to share it

You have been tremendously making us capture our potentials

You have been holding our hands and giving us hands not fall

Ladies and gentlemen open your ears with all the minds

Giving is not the much what remains to play the role

But the quality of the heart and mind to really value humankind

Only to taste and feel the pain and loss as yours

Just the kindness and generosity to find the good in you.

During all the time my heart praises not only at this place

Through stories and poems as well actions I give evidences

In darkness that’s when you saw the one who was lost

And gave light to them to continue their journey

Hence reaching to the graduation this mountain of hope

Once more the right hand the hand that values

You have invested in us and we promise you the harvest

The great gift of all has been your hand you never wasted

That will be always the right precious ring to put on

With education you have provided a nonstop progress

My pen will never cease writing about your coming

Graduates! Stand up and light up your fire and shine

You were given the weapon to change the world! Rise!

You have been given the tool to face challenges! Raise!

It is undeniably the power invested in you and me! Rise!!

By the time it is good idea to end and rest!

With a time I will develop this theme

DAFI has reigned deeply in the heart

This poem was presented on 2nd August 2016 during the graduation celebration of 34 refugee students funded by DAFI tertiary Education program. DAFI (German: Deutsche Akademische Flüchtlings Initiative also known as Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative Fund) is implemented by ADRA Rwanda in partnership with UNHCR. The writer is also a beneficiary of this program wh0 graduated in 2012.

So far, the program has supported over 200 students in tertiary education in the University of Rwanda, private universities, as well as other higher learning institutions in ‪Rwanda.