This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.

PHOTOS: Meet Nepal's Oldest Student, 68-Year-Old Durga Kami

PHOTOS: Meet Nepal's Oldest Student, 68-Year-Old Durga Kami
Durga Kami, 68, who is studying tenth grade at Shree Kala Bhairab Higher Secondary School, poses for a picture wearing his school uniform at the door of his one-room house in Syangja, Nepal, June 5, 2016. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar. SEARCH
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Durga Kami, 68, who is studying tenth grade at Shree Kala Bhairab Higher Secondary School, poses for a picture wearing his school uniform at the door of his one-room house in Syangja, Nepal, June 5, 2016. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar. SEARCH

Unlike most 68-year-olds, Durga Kami, does not wake up and look forward to the rustle of newspapers and a hot cup of tea. Instead, this grandfather of eight, brushes his bushy white beard, puts on his uniform — white shirt, grey trousers and a tie — and walks for over an hour to reach school.

Kami, who wanted to be a school teacher but couldn't finish his studies as a child because of financial constraints, told Reuters that he decided to go back to school to "escape a lonely home life" after the death of his wife.

"To forget my sorrow, I go to school," says Kami, who is probably Nepal's oldest school student.

Kami is a student at the Shree Kala Bhairab Higher Secondary School, along with some 200-odd students. He feels that the sights and sounds of young children running around is a welcome contrast to the silence of his one-room home.

"I used to think, 'Why is this old man coming to school to study with us?' But as time passed I enjoyed his company," said Kami's 14-year-old classmate, Sagar Thapa. "He is a little weak in studies compared to us but we help him out with that."

Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.