When Margaret Thatcher stated, 'If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman,' she could have been speaking of one Ngelemo Leleruk.
The 32-year-old mother of seven from Mtaro village in Samburu County shocked many when she decided to return to school in early 2023.
Leleruk is a Grade Three pupil at Loikas Primary School, a public school near her home.
“I have seen my age mates have gone ahead, and I am still behind. I have come to learn so that I will be a secretary in the future,” Leleruk explained, eying graduation at the tertiary level.
Her decision to start at Grade Three was allegedly occasioned by the lack of adult education programs in her locality. However, she was motivated by her husband and children being proud of her decision to attend school.
Leleruk's Normal School Day
The student starts her day by preparing breakfast for her young children before heading out to school.
She sits quietly at the back of the class, causing a stir among her classmates. The nearly 40 students in her class are impressionable 8 to 9-year-olds, as young as some of her children.
Her humility in class is stunning, especially with the realisation that her teachers are her age mates. According to the teachers, she had chosen to obey them, age not-withstanding.
Her teacher, Rose Wamuyu, noted her dedication: “She is a mother who wants to be educated, asks a lot of questions, and really wants to learn.”
Leleruk aims to inspire adults who seek education to go to school.
The trend of adults returning to school started in 2003 when President Mwai Kibaki inaugurated free primary education. Adult education programs also mushroomed that year.
Kimanu Ng’ang’a Maruge, a Kenyan, holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to join primary school.
Maruge, who passed away in August 2009, surprised the nation and the world when he enrolled for Class One on January 12, 2004, aged 84. His story inspired the feel-good movie, The First Grader.
