The grandfather has become Nepal’s oldest highschool student after he made the decision to return to school and complete his education.
Back to school at 69 proves it’s never too late to go for your dreams
Durge Kami from Nepal is a 69-year-old widowed father of 7. He worked hard all his life to look after such a big family. Now that all his adult children have their own lives, he decided, finally, to realise his lifelong dream of a school education.
Durge Kami’s Long Road to School
Nepal: 69-year-old widowed father of 7, Durge Kami, has worked hard all his life to look after his big family. Now that his adult children have their own lives, Kami decided, finally, to realise his lifelong dream of a school education.
He has always wanted to lean, but his parents couldn’t afford to send him to school. However, Kami never gave up on the dream that one day he would get a formal education.
Today, as there is no adult learning centre in his area, he joins a class of regular highschool children and is learning to read and write, speak English and use a computer.
A bold step that made him the subject of ridicule in his community, many of his fellow Dalits (caste members) could see no reason for any kind of education — let alone with his advanced years — but despite the negativity Durge Kami was determined to keep on doing what he loved: Learning.
It wasn’t long before his story appeared in the media and Durge’s fame spread, not just nationwide, but worldwide too. His teachers are hoping his example will inspire children to do well in school and help change attitudes to adult education, which will improve Nepal’s education system.
However, his ‘fame’ hasn’t swayed all public opinion in his favour, and even his own family is divided over his decision to start school so late in life.
Watch below as RT Documentary meets the famous elderly pupil and members of his community to ask if his studies are just a whim or a dream come true and a socially significant precedent.
Source: RTDocumentary
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