By Amoto Dennis
It has been hectic and happy first term for a 55-year-old man who joined grade one in Jilango Primary School this year.
It was hectic because it was neither easy to join the school nor to mingle with little grandchildren in a confined (school) environ.
All that passed, and eventually, the 55-years-old Suleiman Abdi is a pupil at Jilango Primary School seeking to be a‘literate’ businessman in Leghdera sub county, Garissa County.
The county has lower literacy level than the national of 54.1.
‘’For the better part of last year, I had been resisting attempts by Abdi to join my school,’’ the school head teacher Abdullahi Dahir told Education News.
The frequent visits didn’t convince Dahir to believe Abdi was serious. He said Abdi had been seeking admission from second term last year. “Abdi was persistent as a mosquito, and dead serious”, confessed Dahir who had dismissed, him as a busy body.
Dahir knew the challenges of joining school mid-stream. He loudly wondered how Abdi could learn with little 5-year-olds. “I slightly felt relieved when he promised to comply with school rules.’’
In the New Year when schools opened Dahir called, Abdi in his office fearing his chance could be taken. “At 7am he was in school, earlier than any soul”, said Dahir.
Still not fully convinced to admit Abdi, the head teacher weighed on the psychological impact of an elderly man schooling with toddlers.
Abdi’s hunger to learn eventually made, Dahir to gift him with an admission number.
‘’The old man is to be always in school uniform and must remain a pupil within Jilango Primary during school hours”, explained Dahir.
Jilango’s grade one tutor James Mwangi confirmed Abdi is a regular class attendant who adores reading, writing and numeracy.
Mwangi speaks words of Somali, Abdi’s only language and when communication hits a brick wall then the pupils are the next best option.
Abdi told Education News that being born in 1962, there was no school in Jilango. “Modagashe Boarding Primary school was later established 24 km away but my father couldn’t let me feed on ‘githeri’ and other agrarian diet etc. like our livestock”, said Abdi. The 55-year-old student said he likes to read, write and speak English and Swahili.
Unfortunately Abdi, a father of six and several grandchildren suffers poor eyesight, forcing him, to be near the chalkboard in a class of 19 little souls including 7 girls as classmates.
As much as, it has been a hectic and happy term one for Suleiman Abdi at Jilango Primary School in a livestock rich pastoralist region, the six million dollar question is how long will he be in school.
