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Young at Heart: Kenya's Senior Student

Aired January 26, 2004 - 15:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Here's a story worth waiting for. A Kenyan man is proving it's never too late to fulfill your dream. Here's CNN's Jeff Koinange.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet 84-year-old Kimani Maruge (ph), army veteran, grandfather, and now first grade student. That's right, first grade student.

Maruge (ph) is taking advantage of a recently introduced law in his native Kenya that offers free primary education for all, regardless of sex, ethnicity and, well, age. At school he's an instant attraction, probably more out of curiosity than anything. But these 6-year-olds packed into this classroom treat him as one of their own.

Maruge (ph) says he was denied the opportunity to go to school as a young man by the then colonial government over seven decades ago. He joined the infamous Mau Mau Rebellion as it waged its war of independence. By the time they won their freedom, he felt he was too old to go to school, and instead embarked on a life as a farmer.

Now he's decided to rekindle his youth, and he says he's having the time of his life. It doesn't bother him that two of his grandchildren are several grades ahead of him in the same school. He seems to fit quite well in his new surroundings, complete with uniform and books, and says he's enjoying every minute of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KOINANGE: But first he'll have to go through his ABCs and 1, 2, 3s. But this seems a breeze so far for his youthful brain.

TABITHA BUSOCO, DEPUTY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: The teacher says he is catching up so fast. And he has got a lot of interest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If an old man like that can come to school, why should some not come to school?

KOINANGE: And old. Several senior citizens have taken his cue and are already enrolling for free education. Asked what he wants to be when he grows up, make that when he finishes his primary education, Maruge (ph) admits he's always wanted to be a veterinarian. Barring illness that's his ultimate goal. But for now he says he'll settle for something more simple: reading, writing and arithmetic.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Kenya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 26, 2004 - 15:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Here's a story worth waiting for. A Kenyan man is proving it's never too late to fulfill your dream. Here's CNN's Jeff Koinange.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet 84-year-old Kimani Maruge (ph), army veteran, grandfather, and now first grade student. That's right, first grade student.

Maruge (ph) is taking advantage of a recently introduced law in his native Kenya that offers free primary education for all, regardless of sex, ethnicity and, well, age. At school he's an instant attraction, probably more out of curiosity than anything. But these 6-year-olds packed into this classroom treat him as one of their own.

Maruge (ph) says he was denied the opportunity to go to school as a young man by the then colonial government over seven decades ago. He joined the infamous Mau Mau Rebellion as it waged its war of independence. By the time they won their freedom, he felt he was too old to go to school, and instead embarked on a life as a farmer.

Now he's decided to rekindle his youth, and he says he's having the time of his life. It doesn't bother him that two of his grandchildren are several grades ahead of him in the same school. He seems to fit quite well in his new surroundings, complete with uniform and books, and says he's enjoying every minute of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KOINANGE: But first he'll have to go through his ABCs and 1, 2, 3s. But this seems a breeze so far for his youthful brain.

TABITHA BUSOCO, DEPUTY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: The teacher says he is catching up so fast. And he has got a lot of interest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If an old man like that can come to school, why should some not come to school?

KOINANGE: And old. Several senior citizens have taken his cue and are already enrolling for free education. Asked what he wants to be when he grows up, make that when he finishes his primary education, Maruge (ph) admits he's always wanted to be a veterinarian. Barring illness that's his ultimate goal. But for now he says he'll settle for something more simple: reading, writing and arithmetic.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Kenya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com