Three Eritrean Catholic Church schools for Eritrean refugees in Eastern Sudan held double ceremonies on 16 March 2017 in Kassala marking end of academic year 2016-2017 and celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the schools. Also celebrated was the graduation of 12th graders from the school for the 17th time since the UNHCR-run high school was phased out in year 2000.

Held at the compound of the Catholic Church's elementary school inside Kassala, the colourful ceremony was attended by Church leaders of various Eritrean denominations; Ustaz Babikir Kelay, director of non-governmental schools in the Sudanese education ministry; head of Sudanese teachers' union, as well as invited representatives of Eritrean, Ethiopian and Indian communities.

Opened by welcoming remarks of head-teacher Weldehiwet Kelete in Arabic and Tigrigna, the ceremonies lasted for five hours of entertainment that consisted of educative dramas, satire, folkloric songs and poetry - all  presented in Eritrean languages - Arabic, Bilen, Tigre and Tigrigna. Amharic and English were also used in certain parts of the ceremony. Even Indian traditional folklore was put on the stage. The preparations reflected the life of Eritreans in exile and their determination to stick to their culture and identity.

Speakers included representatives of the teaching staff and students as well as Father Ghebrai and Ustaz Babikir Kelay. The student represetnative expressed profound gratitude to the initiators of the school and paid special tribute to the late Father Milano Haile and his brothers in the Cappuchin mission for their big efforts to keep the schools going. Father Ghebrai Bedemariam, the current director of the schools, was also thanked profusely for his continued follow up of the schools and his vital day-to-day support to refugee students.

In his speech, Father/Aba Ghebrai stated that the Catholic Church schools in Kassala taught in the past 40 years a grand total of 24,000 young children of denominations and regions of Eritrea. Of the total, 40% of the children who attended the schools were girls and 60% boys.

The Church's first elementary school in Kassala was opened in 1977 by the efforts of Cappuchin brothers, among them the late Father Marino, who welcomed any young refugee looking for education. The refugee students at the start were both from Eritrea and Ethiopia. For the first 20 years, the school was limited to elementary education. When the UNHCR-supported [and ELF-run] refugee high school in Kassala commenced to be phased out in 1997, the two schools worked together for three years till 2000. But as of that year, the Catholic Church took the full responsibility of continuing high school education for Eritreans in Kassala. That is why, he said, the school is graduating its 17th batch of 12th graders this year.

The Sudanese official, Ustaz Babikir Kelay, appreciated the work of the mission school and pledged the support of the Sudan for this worthy education project.

The ceremonies closed after distributing prizes for outstanding performers among the students and certificates for teachers who served the school for up to 40 years since its founding.