The day begins long before sunrise for Travolta Nyoni. After a cold bucket-bath, a cup of tea and some maize porridge he begins his journey to school. It's still dark as Travolta walks the eight kilometres from his family's plot of land to Nhlambabaloyi School in rural Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. To avoid detention Travolta must be in the school gate before 7.15am.
Lunch is followed by a two hour session of either sport or study.
After cleaning the classrooms and toilets, the flag is lowered and Travolta starts his long walk home. As demanding as his daily life is, Travolta is one of the lucky children in a world facing a crisis in basic education. Fifty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrined basic education as a fundamental human right, almost 150 million children around the world still never see the inside of a classroom. Access to basic education is a key to escaping poverty. It equips people with the skills necessary to participate in society, obtain employment, improve their health and control their fertility.