Last week I blogged about the 5oth Jubilee of Irish priest Fr Charlie Burrows.
Among his many projects in Cilacap, Fr Burrows has been involved with the Oblates Maritime Academy in Cilacap. This Academy was recently recognized as First of 252 Tertiary Education Institutes in Central Java. The Oblates endeavour to provide financial support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Fr Burrows has forwarded a report about the Academy’s recent graduation.
There are images here from the graduation: (Wisuda AMN 2019)
And of the Academy’s Vice Director accepting the best tertiary education award: (16 Nop 19 Rakor Pimpinan PTS & Badan Penyelenggaran)
REPORT: GRADUATION OF 347 CADETS AT THE OBLATE MARITIME ACADEMY CILACAP
On Saturday Oct 26th 347 cadets attended their graduation ceremonies. Of these 92 were from the Engineering Faculty and this allows them become second engineers on International shipping. Another 90 were from the Nautical Science Faculty allowing them to become second officers also on International shipping and 165 graduated from the Harbor Administration faculty allowing them to work at Ministry of Transportation – Sea section as Ministry officials and also in expedition companies engaged in Sea transportation activities.
68 of these cadets were on the student loan program, an interest free loan program, run by the Oblates and they will gradually repay the loans after they gain employment.
Present at the graduation ceremony were Fr. Tarsisius Eko Saktio, O.M.I. – Provincial, Fr. Yohanes Damianus, O.M.I. – Director of Yayasan Pembina Pendidikan Kemaritiman (Y.P.P.K.) – the Foundation that runs the Academy; Fr. Nicolaus Paukuma, O.M.I., Fr. Aloysius Wahyu Nugroho, O.M.I.; Fr. Petrus Hamonangan Sidabalok, O.M.I.-recently ordained and placed as assistant priest in the Parish of St. Stephens, Cilacap.
The buildings, equipment etc. was provided by the generous of Oblate donors in Australia, Ireland, Germany and the U.S. and the fees asked of students is ± Aust $ 3,000 for the three to five year course, depending on the Faculty they attend, to cover running costs and no student is asked to leave if they cannot pay the fees. This is in accordance with O.M.I. vision to “be good news” to those in need. We thank the Australian Province for the continual help in this endeavor.
The conferring part of the graduation was held in the hall of the Academy and the part with the parents etc. in the area between the main A.M.N. Building and the Workshop of the engineering Faculty.
Hopefully these recently graduated cadets can quickly gain employment and help their families as 60% of the graduates come from less well off families.