A total of 20 students graduated at the Don Bosco College on Friday after completing a 10-week course in sewing.

The graduation ceremony was held at Don Bosco Hall at Alafua and started with an opening prayer by Father Taisali Leulua’i.

Families and friends of the graduating students were on hand to witness the occasion.

Don Bosco Principal Mane Su’a congratulated the graduates for completing the course before talking about the benefits of the course.

“It has now been two years since females were allowed to attend Don Bosco College, this is the reason why they have the community sewing course,” he said.

“Congratulations to each and everyone of you who are graduating tonight. 

Tasileta Tagiilima, who is a teacher in the sewing course, told the Samoa Observer that when her students started they knew nothing about sewing but are now experts. 

“Community sewing course are for people who are eager to learn and develop skills on how to sew clothes,” she said. 

“A lot of mothers didn’t have the knowledge about sewing but they are now doing fine within our course.”

As evidence of their newly found expertise, the graduates sewed their own graduation outfits. The 10-week course can only enroll 20 students at a time and is run by Tasileta Tagiilima and assistant teacher Saunoa Roache. 

It is held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays over a 10-week period prior to graduation. The school believed that having a graduation for these students is a way of appreciation of the efforts and hard work they did throughout the 10 weeks.

For the recently concluded course graduates, 18 of them were females with two males. They each graduated with a Certificate in Community Sewing Level 1. 

For 58-year-old student Diana Young Yen, who was among the 20 who graduated, she is thankful for acquiring new skills.

“Before I only knew a little bit but now I have gained experience and techniques about sewing from attending this course,” she said. 

“It is a blessing for me, I make new friends and I’ve been saving a lot of money by sewing my own dresses.”

According to Principal Su’a, the course is popular but they can only take 20 students at a time.

“There are not a lot of places in Samoa that teaches students about sewing,” he said.

Representing the graduating class to give a speech on Friday, graduate Alex Su’a said they were all united due to their passion for sewing.

“Our graduates are now able to sew clothes, pillowcases of our own because of the course we took, it has helped us to develop sewing skills,” he said.

“Graduates have different backgrounds, I am a lawyer and what brings us together here is the passion to sew.

"Thank you to the Principal of Don Bosco, teachers and everyone who contributed to our journey.”

The graduation ceremony ended with the graduates presenting monetary gifts and their items done on the stage as well as performing songs and dances to celebrate their graduation.