98-year-old Kenyan woman returns to school and dreams of becoming a doctor

Gulf Today Report

Priscilla Cetini, 98, sat on Friday in a stone-built classroom in rural Kenya’s Rift Valley, taking notes alongside students 80 years younger than her.

Cetini wore the school uniform consisting of a gray dress and a green jacket, and said that she wanted to return to school to set an example for her grandchildren and to pursue a new career.

“I want to become a doctor because I was a midwife,” she told Reuters, adding that her children supported her decision.

Priscilla Cetini chats with her classmates.

The Kenyan government began subsidizing primary education costs in 2003. This has allowed some of the older individuals who have dropped out of school to return to school to pursue their dreams.

Now in sixth grade, Cetini said she also enjoys other school activities with her grandchildren, including physical education lessons.

Teachers use her extensive experience to maintain calm during lessons.

Her teacher, Leonida Tallam, said, “I make her watch the classroom for hooligans. And I have succeeded, when I leave the room it is still quiet.”