- Pupils thought he was a new teacher who has joined at their school. Soon, however, they came to learn that he was actually a classmate of theirs.
- The Igogo Ward resident in Nyamagana District, Mwanza City, says it was high time everyone strived to acquire the basic knowledge imparted by teachers in school.
Mwanza. Despite his age, Mr Abdallah Mabindo, 50, is eager to participate in all activities that his classmates undertake, including playing hide-and-seek plays. His mostly seven-year-old classmates, who were initially wary of the “old man” sitting amongst them in the classroom, have grown to like him an affectionately call him babu (Kiswahili for grandfather).
Pupils thought he was a new teacher who has joined at their school. Soon, however, they came to learn that he was actually a classmate of theirs.
The Igogo Ward resident in Nyamagana District, Mwanza City, says it was high time everyone strived to acquire the basic knowledge imparted by teachers in school.
He says that his decision to go to class has kept many people wondering what he aimed to achieve by going to school at that age.
He explains to The Citizen during a recent interview:
“I decided to go to school at 50 years of age because I perpetually feel the pain of being an illiterate in this modern world where everything has something to do with English and calculations.”
Mabindo who had been working as an attendant at a local supermarket in the city, says the owner saw his weaknesses and therefore had to let him leave because he was becoming the cause for losses at the outlet.
“My boss said I was the only one who was not capable of undertaking the compulsory calculations in the evening before leaving for home.” He said.
He told The Citizen that he has been experiencing hardships, particularly when travelling from one region to another. He could not differentiate between one destination and the next one as he could read posters.
He came to the conclusion that he had to go to school and acquire knowledge so that in future, he could establish his own institution that would provide formal education to older persons and the not-so-old Tanzanians who missed schooling as children.
When he first went to seek admission at Nyamagana B Primary School early this year, all teacher objected at first, saying he was just trying to be funy and waste people’s time.
“Some thought I was trying to make a movie or simply, to waste their time. They, however, came to appreciate my need after I insisted to them I wanted to be admitted to Standard One,” he recalls.
According to his class teacher, Ms Niwael Shovenya, they had to admit the old pupil as he had met all the required criteria.
“He freely mingles with classmates young enough to be his grandchildren and says he has no problem with that. Initially, when he began going to class at the school late February this year, he was such a poor learner, someone who couldn’t read, count or count,” she said.
The man made remarkable improvement and he is now much better than he was when he was admitted late in February. He is beats a good number of his classmates, says her teacher. “He is quite a faster learner,” says Ms Soveneya.
The father of a daughter named Mariam, aged 23, has been promoted to class monitor. He is responsible for regulating his classmates, assuring, for instance, that they are quiet and reading on their own when the teacher is not in class.
“I know people are interpreting me, each on their own different ways, some are calling funy names, but this will deter me as I pursue my education dream,” he says.
He calls on the government to legislate for a Special Seat in Parlia just there are such seats for the blind and other disabled persons.
Mabindo is married to Anna Abdallah, 42, whom she says has no problem with his schooling since he can still provide for her as any responsible husband should.
Meanwhile, the Nyamagana B Primary School administration has urged the government to build more classrooms for elderly people who have the desire to acquire elementary education instead of mixing them with children.
“The pace of absorbing new knowledge in old people is so different compared that of young learners; they require more time and practice all the time. It can be complicated when you mix them with children together,” says one of the teachers.
Mabindo joins Mzee Suguta Nyamohanga 78, at Makerero primary school in Tarime District who joined Class One early this year.
Credit: Citizen
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