Sarnelli House Foundation, Thailand

The graduation ceremony at Rosario School started early to escape the worst heat of the day. There were about 200 students graduating from Kindergarten and Grade 9 on the same day. With sixteen young adults and one boy  from Kindergarten attending, it was a big day for Sarnelli House. The ceremony started at 08.30 with some selected children demonstrating their singing and musical abilities. Speeches were made by the Sisters and visiting dignitaries. Eventually the certificates were formally presented, and more speeches were made and official class photos taken. All the Sarnelli children met up with Fr Mike and the staff afterwards outside the school and had individual photos taken and everyone headed home about 11am. The Sarnelli kids were treated to iced chocolates and cakes in Nongkhai and then their favourite meal – grilled chicken, sticky rice and hot and spicy papaya salad treated by Angelique and Ben from Vrienden van Sarnelli (The Netherlands).  Some of the young adults who graduated from Jan and Oscar House, Nazareth House and the Gary and Janet Smith House are going on to further study in Nongkhai and Khon Kaen, others are staying to work on Jomp’s  farm at Sarnelli or at St Patrick’s helping to take care for the young girls. It was a great joy to see these teenagers so proud and happy and finishing school, and to consider how far they had come since their arrival at Sarnelli House as abandoned, sick children, many who were close to death.