Hannah Wambui Kinyanjui, 56, in full uniform outside her home as she heads to school

Age is just a number for one who is determined to acquire education. A 56-year-old mother in Nyandarua North district has stunned not only the fellow villagers but the whole world after she joined the free primary education programme and joined Standard One.

Hannah Wambui Kinyanjui had a great aspiration to become a nurse because she wanted to help fellow citizen in accessing the much-needed medical attention in a hospital. She was displeased by the fact that many sick people are forced to wait a long time to receive medical attention due to lack of enough personnel.

However, her aspirations were cut short when her parents, during the colonial times, denied her the chance to get an education. Instead, Wambui Kinyanjui had to attend to her parents goats and finally ended up having no formal education.

However, following the successful introduction of the Free Primary Education Programme by the Narc government six years ago, 56 year old Wambui got a reprieve, she knew it was just a matter of time before she joins school.

Wambui, a farmer, knew too well that when the time came for her to go to school nothing would stand in the way for her to realize her dream. Not even her parents. Wambui, a mother of two says that living in illiteracy is full of challenges pointing out that circumstances drawing from her illiteracy had caused her to separate from her husband in 1978 and she has since lived as a single mother.

She has survived on odd jobs for most of her life to ensure that her family has some food on the table. Upon retiring from the local county council, she went home knowing too well that her potential had not been realized due to her literacy, and to prove her point this year she did something many of her age mates would never think about. She consulted a local dressmaker with specific instructions to have a well-done green uniform of a local primary school as her determination of getting back to school had reached climax.

Wambui wanted to join Kaheho Primary School and enjoy the FPE programme like other pupils. After preparing herself, she made that bold move and reported to the school only to be turned away by the head teacher who maintained that her age could only secure her a chance in the adult education programme.

She felt discouraged but knew that the move was just a temporally as she was well informed that other older pupils like the famous 80-year-old Kimani Maruge were in school.

In order to assert her point Wambui thought of seeking assistant from another office and went to see the area Education Officer Wilfred Gaicu, to her surprise things were not on her side. She was informed that the only place for her was to attend the adult classes, a move she vehemently disagreed with, as her determination was to be in a school where she could spend most of her time learning.

She further maintains that attending an adult learning session was not an option to her heightened determination. She adds that her ambition was to enroll in a full time class like other pupils unlike only spending two hours in the adult classes. “I am not ready to go to a class only for two hours as the case in adult education sessions but instead I want to spend much of the time studying like other pupils,” she noted.

Wambui became so furious when she learnt that the education department was not ready to facilitate her admission in standard one as she expected. She sought for help from the media. Immediately after her plight was highlighted in the press, the Ministry of Education ordered that she be enrolled in the school unconditionally.

Wambui is now the oldest pupil at Kaheho Primary School. She commends the government for allowing her to enroll in school and benefit from the free primary education programme. She joined the school with allot of enthusiasm knowing well that after completing her studies better things lay ahead. She was even selected Prefect in her class.

She also enjoys being with the children who she loves as her grandchildren. Her class teacher Wanjiku Wachira notes that Wambui is coping well with learning even though she is a point of attraction from the other pupils in the school.

She further says that the Wambui has shown a high level of determination in joining a primary school at her age. Also noting that the move has made the school famous. Adding that it is a challenge to the young people who play around with their studies to see the importance that Wambui attaches to education.

Wambui recently got a boost in her endevours when Ndaragwa MP Mr. Jeremiah Kioni visited the school and donated some textbooks to her.

He also appreciated her move and promised to assist her to realize her dream while noting that the youth need to learn a lot from her and take their studies seriously. Wambui now becomes another older pupil in our primary schools courtesy of the Free Primary Education Programme, for how long she remains in school and realize her dream only time will tell.