Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visits the Lubuto Comboni Library

We were thrilled to host U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona at the new Lubuto Comboni Library on March 30th. The Secretary was appointed by President Biden to lead the U.S. delegation to the Summit for Democracy being hosted by Zambia for the African continent. Accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales and USAID/Zambia Director of Education Shannon Taylor, he immediately rolled up his sleeves and joyfully engaged with some 170 children and young mothers at the library.

After receiving a tour and brief history of Lubuto, Secretary Cardona observed and participated in several of the library's activities. These included drama, music and dance, storytime, art and technology--and a special visit to Lubuto's first Early Learning Center.

A highlight of the visit was a performance by the drama program focused on democracy. In the play, children explored the consequences of appointing a leader versus having a vote to hear everyone's voice and democratically electing a leader. Afterwards, the Secretary had a discussion with the children about democracy and why he was visiting Zambia. He told them he was proud of them for their performance--and for understanding the importance of democracy.

Another highpoint of Secretary Cardona's visit was his storytime in the Reading Room's talking circle. Ambassador Gonzales introduced the Secretary to the children as someone who is very special because he is a teacher. Dr. Cardona then shared one of his favorite read-aloud books, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, in an animated and interactive storytime.

The children felt at ease around Secretary Cardona and loved interacting with him. And the feeling was mutual. Even weeks after his visit, the Secretary has still been reflecting on his experience through social media. He recently shared a photo and posted:

"A classic for me is Brown Bear, by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle. I was able to read it to children in Lusaka, Zambia. They loved it as much as I did. I'll never forget how excited I was reading this book as a kid & how excited children still get half a world away."

Welcoming Vice President Kamala Harris to Zambia

The day after Secretary Cardona's visit, Lubuto team members Hadassah, Besa and Muya were invited by the U.S. Embassy to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris to Zambia. They brought copies of the book Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Laura Freeman from Lubuto Library collections. The Vice President was so excited to see the book and she rushed over to shake their hands. A photo with Hadassah and Besa prominently displaying the book was taken and widely distributed by the Los Angeles Times--a clear demonstration of the country's and Lubuto's warm welcome to Vice President Harris. We were so happy to show that children learn her inspiring story at public libraries, even in Zambia!