This is my second climb of Kilimanjaro for Literacy. Next July, I will take on the challenge of a lifetime: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, to support children’s literacy. Rising 19, 341 feet (5,895 metres) above sea level, this nine-day trek will push me physically and mentally, but every step is for something bigger — helping children learn to read.

In 1986, I volunteered to teach in a remote village in Swaziland. I was to teach reading, but the school had only one book for the class. Unfortunately, the children's reading abilities varied widely, making the assigned book an impossible fit.

I decided to purchase books for the class and, after considerable effort, found a novel about a boy growing up in a changing Africa. I will never forget the wonder I saw as they read this book. I have witnessed the joy a book can bring to a child, and I am on this trek to raise money for Code to help bring books to children.

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 90% of children cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10. Without this most basic skill, their futures are constrained before they have even begun.

Now more than ever, the need to help African children is urgent. Many countries have significantly reduced the aid and program assistance provided to Africa. Your donation will help ensure that critical international assistance, such as that provided by CODE, continues to support children learning to read.

Funds raised through this climb will help expand CODE’s literacy project in Tanzania, reaching more schools and more children with the tools they need to succeed.