At an age when many people have settled into a quiet life surrounded by their children and grandchildren, 64-year-old Furera Muhammad popularly known as Yaya, is still making her way to the classroom.

Yaya attends Malam Sa’a Islamiyya School in Rigafada, Kano State, joining younger learners as she pursues a lifelong desire that eluded her during childhood.

For her, going to school at 64 is not something she considers unusual. It is the fulfilment of a dream she has carried for many years.

“I am very happy to see myself going to school. It makes me feel joyful and happy. I love it and I enjoy it,” she said.

Furera was born and brought up in Rigafada, a community in Kumbotso local government area of Kano state. Growing up, she said, girls in her generation were not encouraged to attend school, a situation that prevented her from receiving formal education.

“When we were young, women were not encouraged to go to school, in fact parents hid their children at home. Because of that, I did not go to any school,” she recalled.

Instead, she helped her parents with domestic chores. After she got married, she turned to small scale trading to support her household.

She said she sold groundnuts, cassava, garden eggs when they were in season, groundnut oil, awara and other items. Her sister’s daughter, who lived with her, often helped by taking the goods out to sell.

But despite her responsibilities as a wife and trader, the desire to acquire knowledge never left her.

She had an opportunity to receive some Islamic education from an elderly cleric after her marriage. Her late husband allowed her to learn from him, but Furera said the arrangement could not provide the kind of structured learning she desired.

“My husband allowed me to get some knowledge from one elderly Mallam, but you know it was not effective. At times, he would just read to me without proper explanation,” she said.

That experience did not extinguish her desire to learn. Rather, it appears to have kept alive the hope that one day she would have a more meaningful opportunity to acquire knowledge.

Furera started attending the Islamic school in 2025. It was the only school available to her that she tried, and she decided to take the opportunity despite her age.

Her motivation, she said, goes beyond the ability to read and write. For her, acquiring knowledge is connected to her desire to succeed both in this life and in the Hereafter.

“What motivated me to return to school is that we need to succeed both in this world and in the Hereafter. This education is one of the keys, so I decided to go back to school,” she said.

However, returning to the classroom after decades away has not been without difficulties.

Furera said she initially struggled to understand some of the lessons. But she gradually improved and now feels she can keep up with her classmates.

“When I started, it wasn’t everything that was taught that I understood. Gradually, gradually, I became better until now that I go along with my classmates,” she said.

Her classmates are much younger, but Furera said she has become comfortable with them.

She participates in different groups in her Arabic Huruf class, where learners practise writing by hand.

Furera said she can now write the alphabet by herself, although she is not satisfied with her handwriting.

“The only thing I am finding very difficult to do and understand is writing. My writing is bad, but I am managing it,” she said.

Similarly, she said that she regularly thanks Allah whenever she finds herself sitting in a classroom learning.

“I use to thank Allah whenever I see myself in class learning. I thank God,” she said.

Finding joy in learning

Furera is currently studying subjects including the Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh and Arabic.

Rather than identifying one particular subject as her favourite, she said she enjoys all the subjects she is currently studying.

Her teacher also holds a special place in her experience.

“For now, the school system is teacher per class, so I love our Malama. She comes every day from Tamburawa. All this while, she is trying seriously. I like her,” Furera said.

According to her, acquiring knowledge must have an impact on a person, whether directly or indirectly.

“I learned a lot. It must change my life, whether directly or indirectly, because when you know new things, definitely you would change,” she said.

‘Unlike the circumstances she experienced as a young girl, education is now part of the lives of the younger members of her family.

When she decided to begin her own educational journey, she said her family did not discourage her.

“My family members didn’t stop me at all,” she said.

That support has allowed her to continue despite the challenges that come with learning at an advanced age.

She also stressed that this is an opportunity for her, even though she was denied the opportunity to attend school as a young girl, her son and grandchildren have been able to receive their education.

She equally pledges to continue with her studies throughout her life, so far, she is alive and healthy.

‘People are surprised when they see me going to school’

Similarly, she narrated that people are sometimes surprised when they see a 64-year-old woman going to school. But she said their reactions do not concern her.

“People are surprised seeing me going to school, but I don’t bother. As far as I am healthy and alive, I will continue,” she said.

In her earlier years, she wished she had been allowed to attend school. She believes that if she had been given the opportunity to pursue formal education, she might have taken a different path.

“I wish I had gone to school when I was young, not now with my grandchildren,” she had said previously.

She believes the lack of educational opportunities for girls of her generation prevented many women from realising their potential and contributing more to society.

“All I can say for the young generation is to seek knowledge wherever it is,” she said.

Teachers salute her resilience

Hama Musa, also, Yaya’s teacher, praised her commitment to education, describing her as a hardworking student who is making steady progress in her studies.

“Yaya is very hardworking. It’s difficult for me to arrive chool before her because she usually gets there before everyone else. Alhamdulillah, her learning has improved,” she said.

The teacher explained that she established the school after discovering the low level of education among residents of the community.

I opened the school because I discovered that people in the village lacked education, and realised they needed access to learning, so I decided to travel from my town to teach them. Alhamdulillah, we have seen changes,” she said.

She explained that she initially visited the community three times a week to teach the students but had to reduce the visits to twice a week because of the rising cost of transportation.

She further said that although more schools had been established in the community, she believed she was the first to establish a school that provided learning opportunities for both children and adults.

She added that her efforts were already yielding results, noting that some of her former students had participated in Qur’anic recitation competitions and emerged victorious.

“Some of my former students have participated in Qur’anic recitation competitions and won,” she said.

We are happy she is getting educated— Family members

Hajara Aliyu, a mother of nine and one of Yaya’s family members who lives in the same compound as her, said they were happy to see her go to school despite her age.

She said Yaya’s decision to pursue education was encouraging, adding that age shouldn’t be a barrier to acquiring knowledge.

“Her age does not matter as long as she acquires knowledge. One should seek knowledge until they enter the grave,” she said.

Speaking about Yaya, young Nafisa Ayuba, the class captain, described her as a strong, brilliant and hardworking woman who takes her studies seriously.

“She is always punctual and in class earlier than other students. Her commitment to learning is something we admire,” Nafisa said.

Another classmate, Aisha Yusuf, said Yaya’s coming early to school sometimes reminds her when it was time to go to school.

“I live close to the school premises. Sometimes, seeing Yaya passby reminds me that it’s time to go to school,” she said.

Malam Naziru, one of the school’s neighbours, said they were happy to see elderly and married women attending school, describing the development as encouraging.

He commended the teacher’s effort in providing educational opportunities for women who might otherwise have limited access to formal learning.

He also emphasised that, from an Islamic perspective, husbands have a responsibility to ensure their wives acquire knowledge. He said the Malama was helping them fulfil this responsibility while they are busy earning a living for the family, thereby easing some of their burden.

“We always support the school because we see it as our responsibility. Whenever there is a problem, my neighbours and I work together to address it,” he said.

He added that the community remained committed to supporting the school and helping it, noting that local cooperation was important to sustaining the educational opportunity it provides for women. (Weekend Trust)