[A] On January 12, 2004, Kimani Maruge knocked on the door of the primary school in his village in Kenya. It was the first day of school, and he was ready to start learning. The teacher let him in and gave him a desk. The new student sat down with the rest of the first graders: six- and seven-year-old children. However, Kimani Maruge was not an ordinary first grader. He was 84 years old—the world’s oldest first grader.

[B] Kimani Maruge was born in Kenya in 1920. At that time, primary school in Kenya was not free, and Maruge’s family didn’t have enough money to pay for school. When Maruge grew up, he worked hard as a farmer. In the 1950s, he fought a war with other Kenyans against the British colonists. After years of fighting, Kenya became independent in 1963.

[C] In 2003, the Kenyan government began offering free education at primary schools. Maruge wanted an education too, but it wasn’t easy for him to attend school. Many parents didn’t want an older man in their children’s class. Some school officials said that primary school was only for children. But the principal, Jane Obinchu, believed Maruge was right. With Obinchu’s help, he was able to stay in school.

[D] Maruge was a motivated and successful student. While in primary school, he studied Swahili, English, and math. He did well in these subjects. In fact, he was one of the top five students in his first-grade class. By the second grade, Maruge became the school’s student leader. Maruge stayed in school until the seventh grade.

[E] People from outside Kenya started hearing about Maruge’s story. In 2005, he flew in a plane—for the first time in his life—to give a speech at the United Nations in New York City. He spoke about the importance of education and asked for help to educate the people of Kenya.

[F] In 2008, Maruge went to a refugee camp because of fighting in his village. Later that year, he moved to a home for older people. Some of the residents of the home were illiterate so Maruge taught them to read and write. He also continued going to school. Even though there were a lot of changes that year, Maruge continued his education.

[G] Maruge died in 2009 at age 89, but his story continues to inspire many older Kenyans. The 2010 movie The First Grader showed Maruge’s amazing fight to get an education. After watching the movie, many older Kenyans decided to start school. One of those people was 19-year-old Thoma Litei. Litei said, “I knew it was not too late. I wanted to read and to know more language, so I came [to school] to learn. That is why it is important for his story to be known.”