VOA新闻杂志2022--肯尼亚98岁女子回到小学

In a classroom in rural Kenya's Rift¹ Valley, a student takes notes alongside² her fellow classmates. She wears the same school uniform – a grey skirt and a green sweater. However, there is one difference. Priscilla Sitienei is more than 80 years older than them.

Sitienei turned 99-years-old on February 11. She said she went back to class to set a good example for her great grandchildren. She also wants a new career.

"I would like to become a doctor because I used to be a midwife," she told Reuters. She added that her children were supportive of her decision.

Back in 2003, the government of the East African country began helping³ to pay for the cost of primary schooling⁴. This has allowed some older members of society, who had missed out on education in their younger days, to go back to school.

This has given Sitienei more than an education. She has also become a film star.

Sitienei travelled to Paris last year for the launch of a film about her journey. It is titled Gogo, which means grandmother in her native Kalenjin language. She will also be heading to New York City soon for a showing of the film there.

Sitienei is in her sixth year of primary school. She says her aims were far more practical than becoming a movie star.

She said she had the idea when her great granddaughter dropped out of school after getting pregnant⁵. Sitienei said she jokingly asked her great granddaughter if she had money remaining on her school fee, and she said yes. So, Sitienei told her that she would use it to attend school.

She said she had hoped that her great granddaughter would continue with her studies. But when she refused, Sitienei decided⁶ to go to school herself.

She said she also enjoys other school activities, including physical education classes.

"It keeps me fit," she said. "I get to jump around, even though not as much as they ... do, but I at least move my body. That is my joy."

Sitienei shares her wide experience and knowledge with the children. Her teachers also use her experience to keep the peace during lessons. Her class teacher, Leonida Talaam, said she uses Sitienei to help control the class. And it works!

"When I go outside," the teacher said, "the class remains⁷ silent."

Words in This Story

uniform – n. a special kind of clothing that is worn by all the members of a group or organization (such as an army or team)

primary – adj. first in time or development

native – adj. belonging to a particular place by birth

practical – adj. relating to what is real rather than to what is possible or imagined

fee – n. a fixed⁸ charge

fit – adj. physically⁹ healthy

joy – n. a feeling of great happiness

1 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

2 alongside   

adv.在旁边；prep.和...在一起，在...旁边

参考例句：

• There was a butcher's shop alongside the theatre.剧院旁边有一家肉店。
• Alongside of him stood his uncle.他的身旁站着他叔叔。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

5 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

9 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。