A Bahraini mother of two who returned to intermediate school 27 years after leaving education to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer has been recognised by the Education Minister for her inspiring journey.
“Education is a lifesaver,” minister Dr Mohammed Mubarak Juma said in a video posted on his personal page, after sharing an interview with Fatima Abdulla Ali.
Ms Ali, who is in her 50s, has now completed her second year at A’ali Intermediate Girls School, achieving good scores in all subjects.
“I have a goal that I will not give up on – I want to be a lawyer,” she said in a video interview with an Arabic-language news outlet.
“I don’t care about age. All I want is to learn.
“Life was tough and I was unable to continue my education, but I am not someone who gives up. I saw how my life was and did not want to remain that way forever.
“If I allowed those circumstances to win, it would mean I had surrendered. So I decided to study. I applied to go back to school, accepted the challenge, and have now completed two years.”
Ms Ali had initially left school in the fourth grade. Although she returned in 1997 to complete primary education, she was again unable to continue due to personal circumstances.
However, she never abandoned her aspiration to resume her studies.
Dr Juma in a screengrab from the video posted on his social media
In 2024, nearly three decades later, she picked up where she had left off. Through remote learning, she successfully completed seventh grade last year after sitting the required examinations – an opportunity she said was made possible with the support of the Education Ministry.
“When I got married and had my two daughters, I wanted to give them what I had lost,” she said, adding that she ensured they achieved what she could not.
“I fulfilled my role in life and achieved what I wanted for my daughters. I then felt the future smiling at me.
“I called an institute and told them I wanted to attend classes, as I was at home doing nothing.
“The man on the phone said, ‘you want to go to class with little kids?’ and I said, ‘what’s the issue?’”
Dr Juma shared her story with his followers, highlighting her remarkable journey.
Several people responded to the video, saying they felt encouraged to continue their own education despite interruptions.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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