Ethiopian father defies odds, joins medical school at 69

An Ethiopian father of 11, Tadesse Ghichile, is defying the odds after he enrolled at a university at the age of 69….

An Ethiopian father of 11, Tadesse Ghichile, has defied the odds by enrolling at a university at the age of 69.

Tadesse Ghichile, who lost his parents at a young age, couldn’t continue his formal education after middle school until much later in life.

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The 69-year-old father has enrolled in Jimma University in the western part of the country where he hopes to graduate with a medical degree.

BBC reports that Tadesse Ghichile is a farmer. If not tilling the land, he works in a café in his village to support his family.

In between farming and his other menial jobs, he found time to take and pass the national university entrance exam.

He decided to resume formal education 10 years ago,  which he had left in eighth grade following the death of his parents.

Ghichile told the BBC he’s had lots of support from fellow students in the past few years and that he’s looking forward to what lies ahead.