Our Chief Guest Professor Collette Akoth Suda, Principal Secretary, State Department for University Education, Ministry of Education, Republic of Kenya
Trustee Yusuf Keshavji
President Firoz Rasul
Distinguished guests
AKU faculty, staff and alumni present
Esteemed family members and friends
Fellow graduates
Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning!

I am humbled, and honoured, to have been asked to speak on behalf of my cohort today. Seated here are people I have walked with, learned from, come to care for and who I deeply respect: it is difficult not to feel unworthy. These positions for training from which we graduate were distributed on merit. We all worked extremely hard to get here. And still I am certain I speak for everyone in saying that we all feel blessed to have had the opportunity that tens of others craved.

Aga Khan University sports so many successes. Her sterling reputation precedes her! The PGME run Masters of Medicine programmes have produced a further 23 specialists (22 from this campus and 1 from Dar es Salaam campus) who will go on to soar in their respective fields. School of Nursing and Midwifery through it's rigorous work-study programme has equipped 31 more nurses with degrees to give them the professional standing to help turn around Kenya's healthcare conduit. IED has churned out 58 more educators, 30 and 21 of whom have already attended the Dar es Salaam and Kampala campuses ceremonies respectively and 7 of whom are present here today who will empower our populace in the field of education.

I came to the Aga Khan University Hospital determined to engrave myself in her legacy: I was going to change the world through best practice! Instead I noticed many things about ME changing. My colleagues withered away. Losing weight by the day. I lost my neck and waist. In countless instances I was far from the altruistic physician. I became a perpetual recipient of other's kindness, wisdom in conflict resolution, long-suffering in instruction and favour in hands on training. Our seniors, peers, support units and the patients we served kept us from losing our humanity in the race for academic and professional perfection. I dare say we all changed. It is hard to join a movement set in such honorable values and not be changed.

On behalf of this graduating class I thank His Highness the Aga Khan. We are proud beneficiaries of His vision and fortitude. And we thank our faculty; indeed we have acquired knowledge and skills from the cream of our continent. We have faced challenges that have molded and grown us, secured fast friends and forged lifelong professional relationships. We have learnt to serve the wealthy, the wanting and everyone in between with the best of ourselves. We have interacted with others in our fields and remembered that we are indeed world-class from our training, and able to not only fit in but lead in any environment! We are eternally grateful for the opportunity to pursue our passion while practicing our trade among people we have come to consider our family.

My prayer is that we stock up on the heart to use our skills and talents to serve. The wisdom to get results efficiently. The drive to rock the status quo when it needs it. That in the backdrop of a most tumultuous healthcare profile, and the now settling education sector we may stand as beacons of hope in our workstations, demonstrating a spirit of unwavering advocacy, the resolve to defend what is right, the courage to stand alone if needed. That we remain warriors for our cause as we push the Kenyan patient's and student’s experience to the next level! That the highest of standards becomes our bare minimum. And may this Aga Khan University spirit that we bear carry excellence on her wings and touch lives beyond our shores!

May God bless you all!

And congratulations graduating class of 2016!