If you ever thought that you were too old to learn a language or some other skill, you probably never heard the remarkable story of Kimani Maruge.
Some people say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Kimani first entered elementary school when he was 84-years-old. In Kenya, where Kimani resided, elementary school wasn’t available to all. Parents had to pay school fees for the privilege of enrolling their children. While the tuition might seem modest to a lot of us today, they put school out of reach for a lot of families in Kenya, including the Maruges.
When the Kenyan government introduced universal elementary education in 2003, Kimani jumped at the opportunity. He sold his goats, bought a school uniform, and registered himself for the first grade. At the ripe old age of 84, he became the oldest person ever to have enrolled in an elementary school.
He simply wanted to learn to read, but some people were taken aback that Kimani, an old man, was permitted to enter elementary school. They criticized him for taking a spot that a child should have. Some even threw rocks and threatened him as he walked to school in the morning, but Kimani refused to be intimidated or let anything stand in the way of his education. He was determined to keep on studying and learning no matter what the cost.
Kimani led a long and fascinating life. When he was young, he belonged to a group of Kenyan freedom fighters battling for their country’s independence from Britain. The right to education was one of the things he fought for. And in 2005, he spoke at the United Nations about the importance of free primary schooling and of giving poor people the opportunity of an education.
Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he was undeterred. He was dedicated to continuing his education even while bedridden. He brought in instructors to work with him at home right up until his death a few months later. Before he died, he stated, “even if you don’t see it through to the end, you will still have achieved something.”
Kimani didn’t start his education as an octogenarian to get a better job or make more money. For him, the journey of learning more about how the world worked was the true reward.
Kimani was an inspirational person who truly exemplified the saying ‘it’s never too late.’ Some people think they are too old to go back to school or to learn a new language, but people like Kimani Maruge show us that you can achieve anything if you’re willing to work hard and persevere.
References:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8202378.stm
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2011/jun/19/kenya-first-grader-education
If you ever thought that you were too old to learn something new, you probably never heard of Kimani Maruge.
Some people say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Kimani first entered elementary school when he was 84-years-old. In Kenya, where Kimani lived, elementary school wasn’t free. Parents had to pay school fees for their children. While the fees might seem cheap to a lot of us today, they put school out of reach for a lot of families in Kenya.
When the Kenyan government introduced free elementary schools for all in 2003, Kimani jumped at the chance. He sold his goats, bought a school uniform, and joined school. At the ripe old age of 84, he became the oldest person ever to have entered an elementary school.
He simply wanted to learn to read, but some people were taken aback by Kimani, an old man. They said he was taking a spot that a child should have. Some even threw rocks and threatened him as he walked to school in the morning.
Kimani would not let anything stand in the way of his education. He would keep on studying no matter what the cost. Kimani led a long and fascinating life. When he was young, he belonged to a group of Kenyan freedom fighters battling against the British. The right to education was one of the things he fought for. And in 2005, he spoke at the United Nations about the importance of giving poor people an education.
Even when he learned he had cancer, he would not quit. He brought in teachers to work with him at home right up until his death a few months later. Before he died, he said, “even if you don’t see it through to the end, you will still have achieved something.”
Kimani didn’t start his education as an octogenarian to get a better job or make more money. For him, the journey of learning more about how the world worked was the true reward.
Kimani showed the world that it’s never too late to learn if you work hard.
References:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8202378.stm
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2011/jun/19/kenya-first-grader-education
Thank you for supporting us!