Nepal: Durga Kami,68, a father to six children and a grandfather of 8, is one the oldest student in his class at the Shree Kala Bhairab higher secondary school in Syangja district in Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu.
Kami always dreamt of becoming a teacher when he was young but poverty prevented him from completing his studies as a child and realising his goal.
Now, at the age of 68, Kami has set an example that encourages others to ignore the difficulties of age and realise the importance of education.
Today, Kami is living his dream of finishing his education. After the demise of his wife, he lives alone in the hills of Nepal and attends school.
He walks for over an hour everyday to reach school with the aid of his walking stick and hangs out with his 14-year-old classmates, who call him “Baa,” which means “father” in Nepali.
He started learning to read and write at the Naharay Primary School, before finishing his fifth grade with 11-year-old classmates.
Kami has promised his classmate Sagar Thapa that he will cut his beard off if he passes the tenth grade.
Kami’s 14-year-old class mate Sagar Thapa said, “I used to think ‘why is this old man coming to school to study with us?’ but as time passed I enjoyed his company.”
“He is a little bit weak in studies compared to us but we help him out with that,” he added
