Mecca: More than 800 senior citizens, including a 105-year-old woman, took part in a literacy campaign in Jazan this summer, jointly organized by the Saudi Ministry of Education and the General Directorate of Education.
About 233 boys and 599 girls were enrolled in 28 education centers in the governorates of Samta, Ahad Al-Masariha, Al-Hart and Al-Rida.
In collaboration with government agencies and the non-profit sector, a variety of educational, cultural, social and health activities and events have been held.
These activities aim to develop beneficiaries’ life skills and to achieve educational and cultural goals so that they can receive equitable and inclusive quality education.
One such student is 105-year-old Shakra Tohari, who enrolled at the Al-Dabra Education Center in Ahad al-Masariha with a strong desire to learn to read and write.
She said she was happy when she stood at the blackboard and wrote the alphabet, or sat down to write and read numbers, or read Surah Al-Fatiha, or a short sura from the Quran, and all of this with the support of her teachers.
“Even though I am over 100 years old, I have always been passionate about learning to read and write. It is a dream I have been waiting for years and decades to come true,” she said.
“Despite all the hardships and growing older, this dream has become a reality. It is a golden opportunity that I absolutely cannot miss,” said Tohari.
The centurion revealed that she had devoted her life to raising her five sons and four daughters. She had educated them and devoted her life to them.
But deep down, she always wished she had the ability to teach children and help them with their homework.
“The Kingdom’s focus on providing education to all and eradicating illiteracy has helped me achieve my dream. It has motivated me and the women in our village to move forward in terms of learning and catch up on what we have missed.
“Education and learning are everyone's dreams, and they aim to eradicate ignorance and illiteracy.
“We have been enriching their knowledge with simple science facts provided by teachers at the senior education center,” she added.
Tohari's son, Ibrahim, said his mother was thrilled to be enrolled in the adult education program, a dream she had been waiting for for decades, believing she had the right to learn, write and read like other women.
Ibrahim's 35-year-old sister Noura drives her mother to the education center every afternoon, while the other children help her with her schoolwork.
After successfully completing first grade, Ibrahim said the women in the village were very proud of his mother.
Ibrahim said what made his mother special was her passion and determination to complete her studies and learn new subjects.
