TWELVE YEARS OLD, JOYCE CARED FOR HER TWO SIBLINGS WHILE HER MOTHER SUCCUMBED TO AIDS.

FANIZO, 14, ALSO LOST HIS MOTHER TO AIDS. WITH THE HELP OF RAISING MALAWI, A FOUNDATION CO-FOUNDED BY MADONNA, HE IS ABLE TO ATTEND THE KAMUZU ACADEMY, ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOLS.

THE UN ESTIMATES THAT THE AIDS RATE IN MALAWI MAY BE AS HIGH AS 15% — ALMOST ONE IN SEVEN ADULTS.

IN 2007 ALONE, 68,000 PEOPLE SUCCUMBED TO THE DISEASE. MANY OF THESE DEATHS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE COUNTRY HAD GREATER ACCESS TO ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS.

IN A COUNTRY OF 13 MILLION PEOPLE, MORE THAN ONE MILLION ARE ORPHANS.

THE BOOK TAKES ITS NAME FROM UBUNTU, A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY THAT MEANS, "I AM BECAUSE WE ARE." ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU EXPLAINS: UBUNTU IS "THE PROPER SELF-ASSURANCE THAT COMES FROM KNOWING THAT WE BELONG TO A GREATER WHOLE."

IN HER INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK, MADONNA WRITES, "FOR ME, UBUNTU MEANS THAT WE ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED — THAT EACH OF US HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO CARE FOR OTHERS AT LEAST AS MUCH AS WE CARE FOR OURSELVES."

CHILDREN ATTEND A CLASS AT A LOCAL SCHOOLHOUSE.

WEZI AND JANET ARE RESIDENTS OF THE HOME OF HOPE ORPHANAGE IN MCHINJI.

NINE YEARS OLD, WEZI IS HIV POSITIVE, THOUGH SHE DOES NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. SHE HELPS CARE FOR THE YOUNGER CHILDREN AT THE ORPHANAGE, WHICH HOUSES 500 KIDS.

RAISING MALAWI HAS SPONSORED 13-YEAR-OLD MERCY'S ATTENDANCE AT AN ALL-GIRL'S SCHOOL IN NORTHERN MALAWI.