"Our country is full of opportunities and all of us can succeed in whatever we do as long as we strive and work hard in making our dreams a reality. You can start your own small business today, making clay pots, selling wild vegetables and wooden spoons and within a short space of time you will never be the same. Your unexplored skills can take you far and your life could change for the better."

So said a renowned pastor and academic, Mr Vhulahani Nemakonde, circuit manager of Sambandou Circuit, when addressing graduates and guests during the first graduation ceremony at Fhedzisani Computer TRG Centre in Khubvi outside Thohoyandou during the weekend.

Four students who made history by becoming the first to graduate from the college happily ascended the stage amid ululations by friends and relatives to receive their certificates and trophies.

Fhedzisani Computer TRG Centre, a relatively new college, under the directorship of Mr Khathutshelo Mukwevho, is growing by leaps and bounds. The college had four students in its first year and today boasts more than 30 registered students. Mukwevho said the graduation was a dream come true for him as he had a hopeless start. "Today, we celebrate the fruits our toil and hard labour; we can see light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

Nemakonde concentrated on the opprtunities that came with the new democratic dispensation. He said that democracy came with good fruits for all who embraced the opportunities. Nemakonde said people looked at things and took them for granted whereas they could make a living out of them. "The simple things you take for granted can change your lives for the better," he said. He urged the graduates not to underrate their qualifications as every job on the market needs a computer qualification. "We are living in a technological world and computers is one of the fields that should be taken seriously," he said.

Mr Israel Nesane, a well-known community leader, told those gathered that the world they found themselves in was polluted. He said many who graduated did not make it in life as they did not make use of the skills they had acquired. He warned the graduates to stay wide awake and guard themselves against the dreaded Aids disease."You can have all the education you need, but if you do not take care of yourselves, all your efforts will be in vain as you will die before enjoying life," he said.

One of the graduates and the first student at the college, Tondani Mudogwa, said their stay at the college was challenging. She said some courses turned out to be headaches for them but they persevered till the last day. "Here we are today, celebrating our achievements and realizing our dreams," she said. "We will never forget this college and we will spread the good gospel wherever we go."