Dear Aunt Silvia,

I am a middle aged man and not married. About a year ago I met a lovely young lady and for the first time I fell in love. I like the fact that this girl is naive and doesn’t know much about life, especially the tricks that town girls use to woo men- which makes her my perfect candidate for a wife. Apart from everything else that is good with her, she is not educated. Every time we meet our friends, she does not feel comfortable talking because she knows very little of anything else to be able to make a comment. I am very educated myself and so I need a wife who is an all rounder, fairly educated and who will make me comfortable to talk to about anything. What do I do with this girl of mine?Mike Dear Mike, I have never believed that there is anybody stupid in this world. Neither do I believe there is any ugly woman. Educate the so called stupid person and they will bring out the best in them, polish an ugly woman and you will get the most beautiful woman you have ever seen- these two examples have one thing in common-nothing is definite. As it is consider yourself a lucky man; do not mistake your girlfriend’s naiveté as to being stupid. She might be uneducated, yes- but definitely not stupid. For me you have gotten yourself a gold mine worth to be exploited albeit in a good way. There is no harm in educating a woman whom you plan to spend the rest of your life with, or a woman who is going to be the mother of your children? If anything, you stand to benefit. Talk to your girlfriend; ask her about the level of her education. From thereon the two of you can discuss about your future. I see no reason as to why you cannot help the woman you love shape her life, yours and that of your children in the future. Some people have no education not because they are stupid, or because they refused to go to school- but because they did not get the chance to. Guide your girlfriend in making sound decisions. Show her the advantages of being a learned person, sometimes when a person reaches maturity and has not attended school, they see no need of getting education at that age. You have to make her understand that education knows no age, it does not matter which age a person is, they can still go to school, get an education and not only better their lives but that of their families and society at large. Do not be ashamed, let those who want to talk, talk- after all there is nothing you can do about it. I encourage you to take this girl to school-you just don’t know her potential as yet, my guess is that you are in for a good surprise. This girl will go places if only you help her; remember that when you educate a girl you are educating the whole nation. Good luck. kayitesius@yahoo.com