As a young homeless orphan begging for food on the filthy streets of Lusaka, Zambia, Anthony Mulenga remembers the day he resolved to become a doctor. He was sitting near a traffic light when he noticed three children crossing the road to attend school. They were dressed in uniforms, with backpacks, and looked happy. He wanted to go with them, he said.
“I made a promise,” Mulenga said in recent interview. “If I get to school, I will take advantage of every educational opportunity and be the best student.”