Eight residents from Almac Old Age Home complete Grade 1

Eight residents from Almac Old Age Home in Alra Park were overcome with joy after they completed Grade 1 of their Adult Basic Education Training on February 10.
The home implemented the educational programme a year ago and saw residents enrolling with the aspiration to complete Grade 1 for the first time.
Manager of the home Lynese Hassiem, said most of their residents are illiterate.
“There are probably 95% of our residents who can barely write their names and addresses, with most of them being older women from rural areas who had little need for literacy”, Lynese said.
Yvonne Philemon (educator) said most of these elderly people’s illiteracy handicapped them in the past.
Hester Koesnel (85) is one of the residents to complete Grade 1 successfully.
“I never had the opportunity to attend school as I had to look after my siblings from a young age. Almac Old Age Home gave me the chance to learn how to read and write for the first time and I have now completed Grade 1 with a distinction”, Hester boasted.
“We had a 100% pass rate in class, with three of the eight participants passing with distinctions”, Lynese said.
They will advance to Grade 2 this year with the same aspirations in mind.