JOHANNESBURG - Cathy and Edmund Kaas dropped out of school 34 years ago after the birth of their daughter.
The couple dedicated their remaining teenage years and the decades that followed to raising their children and building a life together, believing their dreams of obtaining their matric certificates were a thing of the past.
But Cathy was inspired after seeing social media posts about a woman in her 50s who had completed her matric, even attending a matric dance.
“She had even passed with four or five distinctions,” says Cathy.
That inspired her to tell her husband they should give it a try.
The couple enrolled for night classes, juggling their studies with their responsibilities at home.
Their daughter became their cheerleader and accountability partner.
“She did to us what we did to her when she was younger,” says Cathy.
“She would call us and ask why we were answering our phones, why we weren’t studying. The phones needed to be down,” she adds.
For the Kaases, it was about proving to their children, grandchildren and neighbours that your story is not set in stone.
- eNCA's Naomi Kobbie reports.