A Child, a Book, and a Door That Stays Open

Dear Africa Hope Fund Family,

I want to ask you to pause for a moment and picture a child sitting in a small reading center in the South Luangwa Valley.

There is a book in front of them. A reading assistant is helping them sound out a new word. Perhaps they have never had this kind of space before: a place filled with books, encouragement, and the freedom to discover something new.

For many of us, having access to books feels ordinary. For these children, it can be life-changing.

Our six literacy centers and libraries serve six schools and the wider community. Every week, over 2,000 children receive English reading, writing, and speaking instruction. Twenty-one local villagers work as reading assistants, so the people opening these doors each morning come directly from the communities we serve.

I have seen what these centers mean to the children and their communities. I have watched shy children become confident readers. I have seen the excitement when a child understands a word for the first time. And I have seen how education can create possibilities that reach far beyond the classroom.

But our work is far from finished.

Keeping these centers open requires more than books and buildings. It requires committed people, trained reading assistants, learning materials, and ongoing support.

That is why I am personally asking for your help this October.

Your donation will support ongoing learning at our existing reading centers and help us build new ones so more children can have a place to read, learn, and dream.

You may never know the name of every child your generosity reaches. But somewhere in the South Luangwa Valley, a child will open a book because you chose to help, and that child will discover a whole new world.

Will you join me in keeping that door open?

• Carol Van Bruggen