Lifelong learning
A post at A Mighty Girl on Facebook:
At Leaders Vision Preparatory School in Ndalat, Kenya, one student stands out from the rest — 90-year-old Priscilla Sitienei! The nonagenarian, who attends school alongside six of her great-great-grandchildren, is believed to be the oldest primary school student in the world. Although she never had an opportunity to learn to read and write as a child, Sitienei now hopes that her example will inspire the children of her community to understand just how valuable education is.
Affectionately known as Gogo, which means “grandmother” in the local Kalenjin language, Sitienei has been a midwife for 65 years and she even delivered several of her 10 to 14-year-old classmates. When she first applied to the school, they refused her admission until they realized how committed she was to getting an education. Five years after she began studying, Headmaster David Kinyanjui says “I’m very proud of her. Gogo has been a blessing to this school, she has been a motivator to all the pupils. She is loved by every pupil, they all want to learn and play with her.”
Now a class prefect, Sitienei participates in all of the classes, including math, English, PE, dance, drama, and singing. And, she also teaches her fellow students about local customs and traditions. Expectant mothers still seek her out and she assists with deliveries when needed. Part of her motivation for reading and writing is to pass on her midwife expertise and her knowledge of herbal medicine to further generations.
Earlier this year, Sitienei told BBC News that she will confront children she sees who have left school and ask why. “Too many older children are not in school… I see children who are lost, children who are without fathers, just going round and round, hopeless. I want to inspire them to go to school.” she explained. “They tell me they are too old. I tell them, ‘Well I am at school and so should you.’” She hopes that her example will also inspire children around the world: “I want to say to the children of the world, especially girls, that education will be your wealth, don’t look back and run to your father. With education you can be whatever you want.”
She is a woman of courage and strength. I applaud her.
Marvelous.
Indeed an amazing and inspiring woman.
(Thanks for posting that – I needed a good challenge to the resolution that has recently been forming in my brain that I might just as well give up on the human race and hole up in my house with my cats and my yarn and my trains.)
So did I. I almost said “Now for something more cheerful” when I posted it but then thought maybe that was just me.
It *is* cheering. She’s finally getting her opportunity, and she’s making sure others don’t waste theirs.
This is really cool. When I was at university, one of the students was an Italian man in his 70s. He’d worked as a laborer in construction most of his life ,and upon taking retirement decided he’d get a university degree. What’s more, before enrolling in university, he’d returned to school ( post retirement as well ) to obtain his high school diploma.
You’re never to old to learn new things. Doing so keeps you young and vigorous and intellectually nimble
Her grandkids must be the best behaved kids in the school- play up, and Nana will dob on you to your mum!
I hope she does influence older children to go to school. I read about a school system in Africa where all new students entered Prep level, and then graduated to age appropriate classes once they had developed their basic literacy skills. I could see how that could be viewed as shaming, and could put older children off. What a great example this woman is.
And fun.
Inspiring.
She is a wonderful example to everyone. Thank you, Ophelia, for posting this.