Fulfilling her lifelong dream, 104-year-old Indian woman learns to read

NEW DELHI: When the morning newspaper arrives at her residence in Thiruvanchoor village, Kottayam district, 104-year-old Kuttiyamma Konthy rigorously research it from entrance to again — a luxurious unimaginable till a number of months in the past, when she fulfilled her dream of studying to learn and write.

Illiterate all her life, the youngest daughter of landless farm staff from a marginalized group, Konthy knew that training was a ardour she wouldn’t be capable to pursue in her early years. As a youngster, she married an Ayurvedic drugs vendor and raised 5 youngsters.

“Life was harsh at first and survival was the one concern these days,” Konthy informed Arab Information. “Schooling was past our means and creativeness, and social standing.”

A long time later, whereas caring for her 10 grandchildren, she learnt the alphabet of her native Malayalam — the language spoken within the southern Indian state of Kerala — however not properly sufficient to learn.

Assist got here unexpectedly when her 34-year-old neighbor, Rehna John, turned conscious of her dream.

A literacy instructor, John began giving alphabet books to Konthy and the 2 met each night to evaluation progress, which was faster than anticipated.

“She is the brightest of all of the literacy college students I’ve taught to this point,” John stated. “She managed to complete all of the programs in three months which have been meant to final a yr.”

Konthy’s achievement was acknowledged in November when she scored 89/100 in a state literacy examination and Kerala’s training minister, V. Sivankutty, introduced her take a look at outcomes on social media, with a observe that stated “age isn’t any barrier to coming into the world of data.”

Konthy can now enroll within the fourth yr of elementary college — a brand new chapter she is trying ahead to.

“It makes me comfortable that I can research,” she stated. “I by no means allowed my dream to die, and I wish to stay this dream.”

Being energetic can be what she attributes her good well being to. Apart from some listening to and sight loss, the centenarian pupil doesn’t complain of any illnesses and says: “In the event you don’t sit idle and preserve your self engaged, that retains you hale and wholesome.”

Her morning engagement these days, earlier than she goes on to do home tasks, is the native Malayalam-language broadsheet Kerala Kaumudi.

“I actually search for the newspaper and skim no matter is printed there,” she stated. “It is a behavior for me and makes me really feel good.”