 Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Robin Basilen and I'm Ryan Gertzma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live. In the mountains of Kenya, an old man stands at a gate. His skin is aged and his hair is white. He stands bent over his walking stick. He is wearing blue school clothes and he has a blanket over his shoulders. This man waits outside the Kapkendwewa Primary School near Eldoret Kenya. This is not the first time the man has come to the school. He has come many times over the last few months. Today, he watches the children sing in the schoolyard. He waits at the gate for the headteacher. He asks her the same question as he always does. He asks if he can attend the school. In the past, the headteacher told him no. She told him that this school is for children. However, this time is different. This time, she says yes. Today, 84-year-old Kemani Marughe will start his first day of school. This story is from the recent film The First Greater. The film is based on the real-life story of Kemani Ngenga Marughe. Today's spotlight is on Kemani Marughe and his desire to become educated. In 2003, the Kenyan government passed a new law. This law established that the government would provide free education for all primary school students. In Kenya, primary school includes eight grades or levels. Usually, primary students start grade one when they are six or seven years old. However, when Kenya began free education, many older children started school for the first time. New students filled schools all over the country. In many grade one classrooms, children had to share seats or even sit on the floor. Schools were prepared for the thousands of new students. However, no one was prepared for a student like Kemani Marughe. At 84, he set a new record in the Guinness Book of World Records. He became the oldest person in the world to ever start primary school. When Marughe decided he wanted to go to school, nothing could stop him. He told the mirror, At first the head teacher said no. I thought it must be because I did not have the official school clothes. So I saved my money and bought clothes. However, Marughe had to visit the school four more times before the head teacher let him stay. Head teacher Jane Obinchu told the mirror, At first we thought this was insane. But I knew we would have to admit a man who was so serious about learning. I told the teachers to prepare for the oldest school boy ever. Many people wonder why Marughe wanted to start school at such an old age. The reason is simple. He was not able to attend school when he was younger. Marughe was born around 1920. He had no official papers to tell him the exact date of his birth. He was the oldest son of seven children. When he was old enough to attend school, he could not go. Instead, he helped his father work on their farm. He sacrificed his education so that his younger brothers and sisters could go to school. In the 1950s, Marughe joined the Mao Mao rebels. This group of Kenyans were mainly from the Kikuyu tribe. Together, they fought against the British people that occupied Kenya. Kenyans did not gain their independence from this rebellion. But many people believe this rebellion began a process. This process led to Kenyan independence in 1963. After years of farming and fighting, Marughe then had a wife and children of his own. He needed to continue farming to support his family. Many years passed. Marughe raised 12 children. He never had the time or money to spend on his own education. However, in 2003, that all changed. The government had promised to provide free education for all. So, Marughe decided it was his time to go to school. Marughe wanted to learn to read and write for many reasons. He wanted to be able to read letters from friends, family, and the government. He also wanted to be able to read official business papers. He wanted to be able to make more educated decisions. He told the Mirror, I have suffered so many problems from being uneducated. People used to cheat me when I bought goods. However, letters and business were not the most important reasons Marughe wanted to go to school. For Marughe, religion was the most important reason. Marughe was a Christian. He had attended church all of his life. However, he had to depend on religious leaders and his children to learn about the Christian Bible. He told news writer Kate Snow, All my life, I have wanted to read the Bible. When Marughe started school, he attended with three of his children's children. They were all in higher grades than Marughe. However, with much hard work, Marughe learned quickly. One of Marughe's teachers told the Mirror, He is so intelligent. When he came to school, he could not write his name. But now he reads the newspapers. We are learning from him. Many people agreed with Marughe's teacher. Marughe was a student, but he also had much to teach. In 2005, the United Nations invited Kimani Marughe to come to New York City. They wanted him to speak about the importance of free education. Marughe accepted the invitation. And in his speech, he said, I want all children in the world to be educated. That is what I really hope to see. Even after great success, there were still barriers to Marughe's education. In 2007, riots began in Kenya. Two major tribes were fighting over land and government rule. Marughe had to move to a refugee camp where it was safe. At the time, he was 88 years old. The camp was more than three kilometers from his school. However, the long walk did not stop him from attending school. He told the news organization Reuters, It is hard. There is no one to help me walk. I do to the school alone, but the urge to learn keeps me going. Kimani Marughe continued to go to school until he became sick in 2008. And on August 14th, 2009, Marughe died from stomach cancer. He was 90 years old. Although Marughe is now dead, his story lives on. The film The First Greater will continue to spread his story. And his message is simple. As Marughe once told the Mirror, A person is never too old to learn. The writer of this program was Robin Basilen. The producer was Mark Drenth. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to and read this program again on the Internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called The Oldest First Greater. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.