92-year-old woman finally fulfills dream of learning how to read and write: 'Better late than never'

A 92-year-old woman finally had a chance to fulfill her lifelong dream of learning how to read and write after not having access to education for as long as she could remember.

According to a report by the Times of India, Salima Khan from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh talked about waking up to the "joyful screams of students" entering a school across her home, which fueled her dream to pursue her studies.

"Every day, I would wake up to the joyful screams of students entering the government primary school in front of my house in Chawli village, Bulandshahr, yet I never stepped inside though I kept burning with the desire to study all along," Khan said.

Khan went on with her life to marry at 14 and start her own family without even experiencing what it was like to study in school.

Then one day, she asked herself, "What is the harm in learning?"

And so, with help from her great-granddaughter-in-law, she began her path to education with her classmates who are far younger than her. Six months later, she is now able to read, write, and count numbers without any problem.

“I can sign my name. That’s important. Earlier, my grandkids used to trick me into giving them extra money as I couldn’t count currency notes. Those days are gone," Salima said.

#WATCH | UP: A 92-year-old woman attends primary school in Bulandshahr pic.twitter.com/4Fuuf1LJAo

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 27, 2023

At first, the teachers at Chawli Primary School were "hesitant" about handling the daunting task of teaching a woman who would be 100 years old in just a moment's time, as shared by the headmistress of the primary school, Dr. Pratibha Sharma.

"Salima came to us around eight months ago and requested that she be allowed to sit in the classroom. It's a difficult task to educate such an elderly person, so we were a bit hesitant initially. However, her passion to study in the autumn of her life made us change our mind. We didn't have the heart to refuse her," Sharma said.

Salima admitted that her first day of school was incredibly nerve-wracking, recounting that her "hands were shaking" when the headmistress handed her a book.

"I didn't know how to hold a pen. Although I was nervous, my happiness knew no bounds. I was married at the age of 14 and there were no schools in our village at the time. Then I became a mother and life took its course, but better late than never," she said.

'Khan chachi' learns to read at 92, inspires a village in UP's Bulandshahr

Salima has completed six months of education and is able to read and write. Her video, counting from one to 100, is making waves on social media. https://t.co/sEKRaNy0Rg pic.twitter.com/LNTrPmOaEA

— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) September 27, 2023

Her achievement has since inspired 25 other women in her village to enroll in school even after reaching their prime. Chawli Primary School now holds separate sessions for them.

Salima recently took part in a literary test catering to individuals aged 15 years old and above and were previously unable to read and write. She said she's confident about acing it.