Culture
Lebanese seniors get second chance at education
Hundreds of elderly in Lebanon enroll at the University for Seniors division of the American University of Beirut — some to fight boredom, others to achieve long-lost dreams.
“Should I just stop everything and lie in bed waiting for death because I’m 85 years old?”
This is how Mariam Koubaissy sums up her outlook on life. This grandmother has decided to enroll in the University for Seniors, affiliated with the American University of Beirut.
“When I got married, I forgot about myself. I focused on my family. My dreams stopped for a while, but they never died, because I believe that dreams do not die if a person is ambitious and strong,” Koubaissy told Al-Monitor.
Koubaissy’s childhood dream was learning to draw, but health conditions prevented her from focusing on this talent because she was already missing school.
