Zambia

 It is winter in Africa. When we arrive in Lusaka, it is 75 degrees with a breeze. It would be a perfect summer day in the U.S..

Zambia is a landlocked country in south central Africa. It is slightly larger than Texas.

Mostly a savanna, it is also home of the famous Victoria Falls.

A typical rural home has mud brick walls and a thatched roof.

There is a genuine quality to the friendliness of the Zambians. Shy, but sure smiles on faces greet us. Zambians value a clean and neat appearance. Most women wear a colorful wraparound skirt called a chitenge.

Here a mother uses a separate chitenge to carry a baby against her back. Girls and women fix their hair into tiny braids. While the process can take hours, it is considered an important way for women to look beautiful.

We are on our way to the school. Little boys run alongside our van grinning and waving back when I wave to them.

The population is 11.9 million. It's a young population due in large part to HIV/AIDS. Nearly 50% are younger than 15. 68% live in poverty. More than half are illiterate.

The government is committed to trying to improve education and has implemented a nationwide Primary Reading Program. However, there is a severe lack of access to reading materials in most schools and very few have libraries. Room to Read has already established 100 libraries here since 2008 and has targeted for 75 more this year.

We are anxious to arrive at the school and see the progress being made.