If you sometimes feel you are getting too old to do something, you need only to draw inspiration from this lady from Kottayam. At 104 years, Kuttiyamma has fast become the living embodiment of the saying 'It's never too late to start doing'. She recently cleared the Kerala State Literacy Mission exam by scoring a definitely commendable 89 out of 100 marks.
Edex Live caught up with the centenarian to know what led to her learning spirits being awakened at this stage of her life. When asked why she decided to write the exam she nonchalantly says, "There is no reason as such. I am just sitting at home doing nothing, right? That's why I thought about writing the test." Kuttiyamma has learnt to write the letters of the Malayalam alphabet, her name and address due to the literacy initiative. The Saksharatha Prerak assigned to her, Rehna John, lent a helping hand throughout the learning curve. "Kuttiyamma would narrate stories from her childhood to me when her parents were involved in paddy farming and house activities. For her, as a child, there was no schooling. The only way she learned something was through the gurukul sampradayam. They would be asked to recite the letters by the mashaa (teacher). But she didn't really learn anything at that time."
When asked if she faced any difficulties in teaching Kuttiyamma, Rehna says "Not at all. Amma was always very interested. When I got the alphabet book, she would copy it completely in the notebook. She would sing songs and make stories of her own. It was a really fun process to teach her."
Kuttiyamma's achievement has been making waves across the community. "When people from the media come to visit her, she is very keen to face the camera. She would get ready quickly and meet the people with gusto," says Rehna with a laugh. Kuttiyamma, who has now gained eligibility to write the Class IV exams, avidly watches TV and even reads the newspaper.
