A total of 73 participants from two different workshops received their certificates of attainment in a combined closing ceremony on 2nd October 2008.

The Eucharistic Mass which was celebrated by Fr. Greg Bourke ofm, Vicar General of Aitape Diocese and assisted by Fr. Zachary Miroi ofm, Pastoral Vicar, saw the starting of a new way of communion and cooperation between two groups of people working in partnership for the same purpose.

The first recipients of the certficiates of attainment were 30 participants from the Wok Sambai Counseling workshop.

The workshop ended after a 6 week period, 5 weeks of theory and a week of practical where the newly trained counselors went out to various areas such as the District Hospital and settlement camps to practice what they had learnt.

Those who attended were from the three deaneries of Aitape, Lumi and Nuku in the Aitape Diocese.

This workshop was facilitated by the Wok Sambai Counseling Services Program which is part of the Social Services Ministry in the Diocesan structure, that offer counseling services to people.

During the 6 weeks, they also had the privilge of having a visit by the National Director, Fr. Tom Ritchie, the founder of the program after the 1998 Tsunami Disaster.

The second group of people who also received certificates were 43 youths of the HIV/AIDS Peer Education workshop.

Their two weeks workshop was facilitated by two Peer Education Trainers from the Sandaun Provincial AIDS Council (PAC) Office in Vanimo.

The workshop covered topics such as Peer Education, HIV/AIDS/STI, Gender, Family Violence, Human Rights, Life Skills, Drugs, Alcohol and the workplace.

Both workshops were conducted at the St. Martin's Pastoral Centre in Aitape.