Makkah: More than 800 elderly men and women, including a 105-year-old woman, participated in a literacy campaign organized this summer by the Saudi Ministry of Education, which represents the general administration of education in Jazan.
About 233 male and 599 female students enrolled in 28 educational centers located in Samtah, Ahad al-Masarihah, al-Harth and al-Aridhah governorates.
A number of educational, cultural, social and health activities and programs were organized in partnership with government agencies and the non-profit sector.
These activities aim to develop the life skills of the beneficiaries and guarantee their equitable and comprehensive quality education to achieve their educational and cultural goals.
One such student was 105-year-old Shakra Tohari, who enrolled herself at Al-Dabara Educational Center in Ahad Al-Masarihah, reflecting her strong desire to learn to read and write.
She said she enjoyed standing next to the board to write letters, or sitting in her seat to write and read numbers, or reciting Surah al-Fatiha or short surahs of the Holy Quran. teachers.
“I was passionate about learning to read and write, even though I was 100 years old. This is a dream I have been waiting to fulfill for many years and decades,” she said.
“With all the challenges and as I get older, it's a dream come true. This is a golden opportunity that I can never miss,” said Tohri.
The centurion revealed that he spent his life raising his five sons and four daughters. He taught them and devoted his life to them.
However, deep in her soul, she always wanted to be able to teach them and help them with their homework.
“The state's interest in providing education for all and eradicating illiteracy helped me to fulfill my dream. This motivated me and the women in my village to move forward in terms of learning and catch up on what we had missed.
“Education and learning is everyone's dream, the goal is to eradicate ignorance and illiteracy.
“(We are) enriching their knowledge with simple science facts provided by their teachers at the Elderly Education Center,” he added.
Tohri's son Ibrahim said he was overjoyed to be enrolled in the adult education program, representing a dream his mother had been waiting to fulfill for decades, believing in her right to learn, write and read like other women.
Ibrahim's 35-year-old sister, Norah, takes her mother to the educational center every afternoon, and her other children help her with schoolwork.
After successfully completing her first year, Ibrahim said, the women of the village were immensely proud of their mother.
Ibrahim says what sets his mother apart is her desire and determination to complete her studies and learn new subjects.
