Priscilla Sitienei has become something of a celebrity as the oldest primary school student in Kenya. At 98, she sits in class alongside some of the pupils she helped bring into the1.
Sitienei, who comes from the remote village of Ndalat in Nandi County, had always wanted to become a(n)2. Though that3 never came her way, she instead used her traditionally learned skills to help mothers deliver their babies safely at home. Still, she never 4 her dream to get an education. Giving her a dose of inspiration was a(n)5by the Kenyan government in 2003 to make primary education free. However, it wasn't until almost a decade later that she could6enter a classroom.
Her journey on the road to7has served as an inspiration for many in Kenya, where it was 8among members of the older generations to 9 on schooling to make ends meet.
David Kinyanjui, the head teacher at Leaders Vision Preparatory School, said that while it was challenging to10Sitienei into the class in 2011, her determination to get an education 11 the school authorities to enroll her. Sitienei, 12known as Gogo-- or grandmother in her native language—hasn't looked back.
"Gogo could only 13 in her mother tongue of Kalenjin and Kiswahili, but she was willing to start learning at the 14 level so that she could learn some English. 15_at Grade Six, she has learned the language and even though she is not 16 in it, she can understand what the teachers are saying in class," Kinyanjui17_.
Sitienei said: "I wanted to inspire children, especially 18 that education is important in shaping their future and getting out of poverty. Being a grandmother, I have19 some girls drop out of school due to early pregnancies or 20 of interest and the best way to show them the importance of education was by going back to school myself."
