In Zambia the projected life expectancy has reduced from 60 years at birth (without HIV/AIDS) to 37 years. In some urban areas like Lusaka the adult HIV prevalence is as high as 28%. Adults are dying all the time, and unfortunately there are currently over 500,000 orphans left. You can help! Find and donate all your children's books that they no longer read...

As you know Aids in Africa is at crisis level. Sadly it’s almost a platitude. What you may not know is in Zambia: the projected life expectancy has reduced from 60 years at birth (without HIV/AIDS) to 37 years. In some urban areas like Lusaka the adult HIV prevalence is as high as 28%. Adults are dying all the time, and unfortunately there are currently over 500,000 orphans left. These children have no status and therefore cannot go to school. This means no education, which is one of the most important aspects in life.

You can help! Please can you find all your children's books that they no longer read, including magazines, annuals and colouring/games books and deliver them to me on my Book Collection Day on 6 February, 72 Hornsey Lane, London N6. I'm aiming to have 1,500 books collected by then to fly out to Zambia.

Project Concern International is a charity which works with 180 orphanages and day centres and will distribute the books to these places for us. These books will give the children in Zambia a means of educating themselves, a way of opening their worlds up outside of their orphanage and immediate surrounding and a feeling of being loved and cared for by people in another part of the world, i.e. us!

DasAir Cargo are generously flying the books to Zambia for free.

Please will you forward this to as many people as you know, and ask that they let you know the approximate number of books they'll be bringing too.

Thanks very much, and happy giving!

Elaine Bernstein
elaine-bernstein@tiscali.co.uk