“ሁሉ በእርሱ ሆነ፥ ከሆነውም አንዳች እንኳ ያለ እርሱ አልሆነም።” ዮሐንስ 1፡3
Glory to Christ and to Him alone, for this is His deed, and His alone, against all odds, carried out with His unfailing grace.
ስለሆነው ሁሉ እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን። ይህን የፈፀመው የእኔ ችሎታ ሳይሆን የእግዚአብሔር ሃይል፥ ጥበብ፥ ማዳን ብቻ ነውና። አሜን።
Grateful as I am, I must confess that my joy isn't full this week, though, because the one person who so wished to see this very day since I was an infant is no longer with me. But Dad, I hope you’re smiling in Heaven. The education I started with your tears when I was just 4, grappling with polio, has now culminated this week, on December 10th, 2025 – which also happens to be the International Day of Human Rights - as I received my PhD in Law from the inarguably top Law School on the African Continent, specializing in International Disability Rights Law, and International and Comparative Law in Africa. According to the available data, I am the first physically disabled doctoral graduate of the University’s entire Law Faculty as well, while there may have been a few predecessors with other types of disabilities. And so, Dad, you are and shall always be my Honorary Dr. Bogale Wakene (ክቡር ዶ/ር ቦጋለ ዋኬኔ), not just to me but to fathers, your friends, and all who witnessed the stellar, unwavering father you were to your son. ይህ ክብር ቢያንስህ እንጂ አይበዛብህም አባዬ። መልካም ታሪክ ተቀብሮ አይቀርምና።
Mom: this thesis, which will soon become a book (confirmed) is so deservedly dedicated to you, too. You took on the tall order of raising a toddler affected by a complicated disability at just 5 months old. Those who witnessed those days some four decades ago told me that your words when the doctors diagnosed my disability were “I just want my child to be alive and breath, God shall take care of the rest.” The same words you said when Dad was diagnosed with a terminal illness last year. The hope and courage you kindle when there is no apparent hope always astonishes me. You never fret, or if you ever did, not once did you ever show it to me. You gave me your entire life, as your one and only son. Hope and courage continue to be your distinct, enviable mindset even with the recent, excruciating wound you carry within you, which we still find hard to accept, that is the loss of Dad, your beloved husband, a marriage that lasted 53 solid years. Keep your head up, Mom. You have done the absolute best in the absolute worst of circumstances. And so, Mom, you – too - are and shall always be my Honorary Dr. Tiruwork Negussie (ክብርት ዶ/ር ጥሩወርቅ ንጉሴ). For all good friends, colleagues, and like-minded comrades at the Law Faculty, University of Pretoria
@UPTuks, and multiple other academic institutions across Africa, Europe, the U.S., and Asia who have always given me a tap on the shoulder to keep going, never give up on this important project, I cannot thank you enough. May your respective journey be blessed, abundantly.
#ItsOfficial #ItsFinished #PhDone