Lowell Couple among Scores of Graduating Africans Family and friends celebrate at a backyard party in honor of Geoge Kiongera and his wife, Elizabeth, who both graduated recently in the lucrative field of Nursing. H. Maina/Ajabu

LOWELL, Mass. JUNE 10-A Recent report in the American media indicated that Africans in the United States are among the most highly educated, young, vibrant and growing immigrant communities.

Urging CNN to consider including a focus on the growing African immigrant population in the United States within the then ongoing "Black in America" series, the U.S.African Chamber of Commerce (USACC) said that over the last 20 years, millions of African immigrants have arrived from the 54 countries within the continent of Africa to make the U.S. their home.

Chamber President, Martin Mohammed, said that, in general, African immigrants in America tend to be well-educated, younger than other immigrants in the U.S. The top three occupations they occupy include Management & Professional Services, Services, and Sales within the top three industries of Education & Health Care, and Retail Trade.

Further still, the report also found that collectively, African immigrants in the U.S. hold an estimated buying power of $50 billion that is hardly recognized.

If the above analogy is anything to go by, the recent and ongoing graduation season in the USA would reflect the same idea.

This graduation season alone has seen many Kenyans and other Africans graduate from all types of colleges in a wide variety of fields.

The ages of the graduating Africans also vary greatly.

One week ago, dozens of Kenyans in Lowell, MA met to celebrate the gradation of a 22 year old 1st generation Kenyan-American girl who graduated with a BSC degree in human science from the prestigious Georgetown University in Washington DC.

The 22 year old Elizabeth Wangari Kariuki has her eyes firmly set to becoming a medical doctor.

Elizabeth Kariuki, the graduate, with her dad, Isaac ndungu, the mother,Anne Ndungu,( in red) and the younger sister, Mary Kariuki during the graduation ceremony at Georgetown University

She has already landed a $20 per hour job as a physician’s assistant in Washington DC where she will work for about one year before going to medical school.

“She wants to go back to Georgetown University’s medical school, or the neighboring George Washington Medical school” , said her father, Isaac Ndungu, on a phone call with AjabuAfrica.com.

Ndungu and his wife have struggled to pay a quarter of $52,000 a year that it cost their daughter to go study at one of the country’s top Catholic Universities, the rest of it coming from scholarships.

”We are very proud parents right now”, Ndungu said. “It was all worth the struggle,” added Ndungu who still has another daughter at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, paying about $10,000 for the commuter student.

The celebration happened at the young Wangari’s parent’s home in Haverhill, MA.
Wangari was accompanied at the celebration by two young Nigerian-American friends from the same graduating class at Georgetown.

Other Graduates

Hundreds of other Kenyans and Africans in America have already graduated across many states in America, and in many different fields this year alone, in highly paying fields ranging from business to healthcare to science and as well as other professional studies including theology.

The diplomas obtained also vary as well. Many Africans have graduating licensed practical nursing (LPN), registered nursing, Bachelors, masters and many PhDs.

The feats are highly featured in various social networking websites like facebook and twitter.

One of the most unique of such graduations happened last Saturday, June 1, when a 50 year old Kenyan man graduated form the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

Mr. George Kiongera graduated with a Masters degree in Nursing, pending his board exams to become a Nurse practitioner.

A week before this graduation, Kiongera's wife, who is also close to 50, graduated as a registered Nurse from Middlesex Community college, also in Lowell.

Double blessings- George and Elizabeth Kiongera who both graduated this summer.George now holds a masters of Nursing degree from Umass Lowell, and Elizabeth is now as a Registered Nurse from Middlesex Community College in Lowell

“I thank God for this awesome achievement after going through so many problems. I feel like it is a double blessing for me and my family”, Kiongera told AjabuAfrica.com shortly before taking his seat at the Tsonga’s Arena in Lowell in readiness for the official graduation ceremony.

Kiongera said that all Kenyans in the Diaspora should strive to go to college regardless of their age.

“It was not easy for me and my family. We have persevered through a lot of problems as three of us were in college at the same time. But we managed to stick together, help one another and God has seen us through”, said Kiongera, whose 22 year old daughter also recently graduated with an LPN diploma in June last year, and is headed for a Registered Nurse course.

“If a 47 year old man like me can go back to school and graduate 3 years later anyone can also do it”, Kiongera added.

He said it was painful to see young Kenyans who come to America and drop out of school before they even graduate with anything, a bad choice that condems them to a long life of unnecessary struggle in the land of opportunity.

Delivering the commencement speech at the Umass Lowell graduation, a popular African American figure from Tennessee, who is a former congressman and now the Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council and Fox News contributor, Harold Ford Jr. told granduants that it is very important for parents to instill discipline in their children if they want to see them achieve success in America.

Harold Ford Jr. from Tennessee, during the 2009 graduation ceremony at Umass, Lowell

Ford, who is only 39 years and already a successful and influential African American figure, credited his mother and grandmother for coming down hard on him to ensure that he went through school successfully.

He said anyone can achieve anything they set their minds to here in America, but a good foundation is the key to such success.

“Now we have Barack Obama as the president of the United States”. Ford Jr. said. “Anyone can achieve anything with a good education”, he added.

Lowell mayor, Edward Caulfield also spoke at the graduation. He underscored the importance of education in the lives of Lowell residents and promised to continue working hard to make Lowell a better place for everyone.

Other than George Kiongera, a couple of other Kenyans also graduated from this university last one week ago .Among them were two MBA holders, a Masters in chemistry grandaunt, and several other bachelor degree holders who were immersed in the sea of thousands of grandaunts, among them were two graduates from Sierra Leone.

Lowell mayor, Edward Caulfield during the 2009 graduation ceremony at Umass, Lowell

Kiongera and his wife Elizabeth Njeri later hosted an evening party at their house on Fairgroove Ave in Lowell where dozens of Kenyans congregated to celebrate with the family.

Rev. Dr. Mumbui Karimi of Ushindi Church in Lowell attended the event and prayed for the entire family. He praised them for being a brilliant example to many Kenyans who can now aspire to achieve more in life after seeing the success displayed by Kiongera's family.

Njeri, Kiongera wife, thanked God for the achievements obtained by her family. She caused a light moment when she told visitors that people should admit it when others have helped them in life. “ Mundu aringio niouge niaringio” ( if someone helps you cross the river, say you were helped do it “, Njeri said in her native Kikuyu language.

She admitted that her husband truly helped her cross the river from grinding problems in Kenya to America, and assisted her further to complete her studies.

George arrived in America in 2002 and two years later , he helped bring his wife and their three children to America. They have two daughters Margaret Kiongera, 22, Janet Kiongera , 14, and son, Jeff Kiongera 19.

The unique evening garden party celebration also attracted American neighbors who came across the fences to congratulate the hard working couple.

The Americans and Kenyan took bites of the traditional Kenyan food offered including Mukimo , Ugali , and Rice, as well as and Nyama Choma, ( barbecued goat meat ) that was barbecued on site by Wakayugi, a professional goat meat roaster.

Wakanyugi, a reknown goat meat roaster in Lowell , Nashua and the sorrounding areas, surgically works out goat meat on the grill during the exciting evening party to celebrate the graduations of George and elizabeth Kiogora