The 94 students who departed Guyana for Cuba on Friday are settling in safely in their new homes and environment, where they will have to adapt for another 6 to 7 years.
The batch is the second of the 350 scholarships granted to Guyana by Cuban President Fidel Castro during a visit by President Bharrat Jagdeo to the Caribbean island last year.
The Universal Airlines Boeing 767 which transported the students touched down at exactly 17:00 hours on Friday at the Josi Marti La Habana International Airport, and as the students disembarked the aircraft, Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj, Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Ministry, Dr Nanda Gopaul, and Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, Ms Jennifer Webster, bade them farewell.
What was once sad faces when the students departed Guyana around midday changed to smiling faces as they said goodbye to those on board.
One Computer Science student said though he is "anxious to see and live in Cuba", he was concerned about the language barrier.
All students are required to complete a one-year course in Spanish before proceeding to their respective disciplines.
The Guyanese delegation that accompanied the students were not allowed to disembark the aircraft, as according to the airport officials the flight was intransit to the United States and passengers are not allowed off the aircraft.
But the airport officials said Guyana's Ambassador to Cuba, Dr Timothy Critchlow was on hand at the immigration counter to welcome and accept the multi-ethnic group of students ranging between the ages of 17 and 25 years old.
Students were drawn from all the regions of Guyana except one.
Student Welfare Officer, Dr Leslyn Campbell, herself a Cuban graduate and a medical doctor, also travelled with the students.
In an interview with her, she said her role is to ensure that the students are comfortable in their new environment. "Anything that can happen to a student, I would have to be involved in, whether it's their documents, there are times when a student certificate may be missing, then I'll be the liaison between the officials in Cuba and Guyana.
She added, "If a student is ill, if a student encounter difficulties steeling in the new environment, I'll talk to the authorities on that student's behalf."
In an invited comment on Dr Campbell's performance, Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Ministry, Dr Nanda Gopaul said he is pleased with the level of support she has been giving to the students. As it relates to the present batch of students, Dr Gopaul said he is confident they will be good ambassadors of Guyana in their studies.
And Permanent Secretary at the Office of the present, Ms Jennifer Webster said she had been trying to counsel some of the students as to what to expect in Cuba, since its their first time away from home on their home.
"It's not totally what some of them would have been accustomed to in Guyana and I have been trying to say to them that they should appreciate what the government and people of Cuba are doing to enable them to get a tertiary education."
She also urged them to be committed to their studies and strive for excellence.
Ms Webster said she has also urged then to return to Guyana upon completion of their students and help to further develop the country.
And even as Guyana continues to send students to Cuba, that country has been assisting Guyana with medical professionals.
This writer happened to sit next to Carmen Molina, a Cuban physiotherapist aboard the aircraft on the flight to Cuba with the 94 students.
She has completed her 17-month stint at the Georgetown Public Hospital and while the doctor said she enjoyed her stay, she was nevertheless longing to return home.
In fact as the aircraft touch down at Havana she started smiling and clapped and said "Guyanese are warm and nice people. My patients cried when they heard I was leaving".