On behalf of The Butterfly Tree trustees in the UK and Zambia we would like to wish all our donors, supporters, volunteers and fundraisers a very happy Christmas and a healthy and peaceful New Year.
As another year closes the charity shortly enters its seventeenth year and once again I am pleased to report that we’ve had a very succussful year. Below are some of the highlights:
Completion of a health post with staff houses – Katondo
Completion of a classroom – Mubuyu community school
Completion of a classroom – Kamwi junior school
Completion of a classroom – Chabalanda junior
Completion of a classroom – Mukuni junior school
Expansion of Sichifulo junior secondary school
Donation of desks – Mukuni and Kamwi junior schools
Donations of textbooks to 20 schools
Installation of seven boreholes for schools and communities
Two mother’s shelters – Manyemuyemu and Siakachapa
Support to health centres – Mambova, Simonga, Bunsanga and Mukuni
Donation of mosquito nets to school children and insecticidal coating of houses – Moomba
20 community houses for orphans and widows
‘Mangoes of Hope’ – sustainable community project for women – Musokotwane
‘Hope for the Future’ – sustainable community project for women – Sekute
Sponsorship of 7 university students and 14 college students
Sponsorship of 250 orphans and vulnerable children
Donation of seeds and fertilizer to 50 schools for sustainable feeding programmes
Distribution of 2,500 bags of ground maize to orphans and vulnerable families
Two staff houses soon to be completed – Musokotwane high school
Health post currently under construction – Boombwe
Thanks to your tremendous support we have enabled thousands more vulnerable children to have access to safe water, feeding programmes, improved health and education facilities, malaria and HIV prevention and better houses. In addition, women have sustainable income-generating enterprises and communites have boreholes and accessible health posts and no longer have to walk long distances for these essential services.
With less than a month to go until Christmas Day The Butterfly Tree is appealing for donations to purchase bags of maize for vulnerable children and families, and the elderly. At this time of year food is in short supply as there has been no rain for six months. Communities and schools are busy ploughing their land, but it will be another few months before crops are ready. There is a great deal of hunger, and many people are surviving on just one meal a day.
As the rainy season approaches this is also the time of year when children are in need of protection from malaria. Our ‘mosquito nets for schools‘ programme is proving to be highly effective. Each pupil and teacher are given a mosquito net to prevent contracting malaria. According to the World Health Organisation ‘in 2020, nearly half of the world’s population was at risk of malaria. Most cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.’
For just £6 ($7) we can purchase a 25kg of ground maize or a mosquito net. 100% of all donations will be used for this purpose, nothing will be deducted for admin or personal fees. If you would like to make a donation, please use this link to see the different payment options: DONATE
SPONSORED ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN
The Zambian school year is about to close and all the sponsored orphans and vulnerable children are being given a bag of ground maize. Now in its sixteenth year the orphan sponsorship programme has helped hundreds of individual children. A further twelve pupils have just completed high school, some of them have been on the programme from grade one through to grade twelve. This opportunity is life-changing and gives children, who live in extreme poverty, hope and a chance of a better future.
MULIMA HEAD BOY AT MUKUNI HIGH SCHOOL IN 2022
In addition, ten students participating in skills courses at Libes college in Livingstone, have also completed and waiting for their certificates. The courses included building, carpentry, plumbing, catering, and forward and clearing. Seven students are currently on degree courses, thanks to The Murphy Family Foundation.
DAVID, ALICE, THABO, ALICE AND AUGUSTINE COMPLETE COLLEGE
We are delighted to welcome John Staab a long-term sponsor and volunteer, to Mukuni. His company, Motive Real Estate, Texas donates a community house to orphans and widows for every house he sells. John has also funded the restoration of a classroom, which he is currently working on with our local team. Volunteering is a great way to experience local culture and to see a traditional way of life. Past volunteers, like John, loved this life-changing experience and continue to support The Butterfly Tree.
COMMUNITY HOUSING BENEFICIARY
It’s mango season in Zambia and women in Musokotwane are busy drying mangoes, and producing jam and fresh juice. ‘Mangoes of Hope’ initiated by The Butterfly Tree and generously funded by our Canadian partner, Give a Hand, will not only provide food security for the women but also give them a sustainable income to support their families.
MANGOES OF HOPE – MUSOKOTWANE WOMEN
With focus on the World Cup taking place in Qatar we are delighted to have been chosen as the nominated charity partner for the 2023Blackpool Cup. The Butterfly Tree supports football for youths as well as empowering girls to help prevent them being enticed into early marriages, teenage pregnancies, and drug and alcohol abuse. Blackpool Cup has given a generous donation to fund a tournament in Zambia and will promote our work at their International Youth Football tournament next year.
A donation, however small, to our Christmas Appeal can really make a difference to a protect a child against malaria or to feed a family. Please click on this link if you would like to make a donation: DONATE
First of all I would like to apologise for the issues we have recently experienced with our website and emailing. We are currently in the process of updating the entire system, which will include a new website, with support from Steven Waller, an IT volunteer. We also welcome Anthony O’Neill, a long-term donor of The Butterfly Tree, to our board of Trustees. Anthony has supported our education projects for several years and is keen to find ways of providing solar power to clinics and schools in Zambia.
The Butterfly Tree also has a new address: 6 Walnut Tree Close, Banstead SM7 1QT. The telephone numer remains the same 0203 161 5877 and will be in operation once BT connect it on the 18th November! In the meantime if you wish to contact the charity please call 07535 424416 or email jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk
Last month we were delighted to learn that we are this year’s winner of the Central England Prestige Awards for 2022/23 for the category – ‘HIV Support Non-profit Organisation of the Year’.
‘Truly congratulations Jane, yourself & all involved within the organisation have certainly dedicated a lot of time and effort. A great acheivement as we rarely have winners recognised consistently.’ Last year the charity was the winner of the Central England Prestige Awards – ‘Orphan Charity of the Year.’
After the completion of the health post at Katondo we are thrilled to have be awarded further grant aid from the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission to construct a health facility at Boombwe, a remote area in Musokotwane where currently people must walk 24km to seek medical attention. The area becomes inaccessible during the rainy season when women must deliver their babies at home. One senior headman’s comment after hearing the news – ‘this will be a first in my lifetime’, he is 65 years old. The project will include a clinic, two staff houses, a biodigester and equipment. The Butterfly Tree will fund a borehole. This will be the fourth health post funded by the Commission, others we have developed are at Sikaunzwe, Bunsanga and Katondo.
BOOMBWE COMMUNITY BRIEFED ON THE NEW HEALTH POST
The rainy season is about to start in Zambia so we are currently busy working with the Ministry of Heath to get malaria prevention interventions in place. Moomba, with the highest prevalence of malaria, is our priority. Houses are to be painted with a safe insecticidal coating. Larvacide will be applied to streams and ponds to prevent the larva developing into mosquitos. The schools in Boombwe area, the location for the new health post, are to receive mosquito nets. Every pupil and teacher will be given a net. Our ‘mosquito nets for schools‘ project is proving to be highly effective in helping to prevent new cases of malaria.
SAFE MALARIA PREVENTION DISTRIBUTION
After a receiving a further donation from the Murphy Family Foundation two teachers’ houses are under construction at Musokotwane high school. Our trained youth builders are being paid to do this work. The Murphy Family are also supporting seven university students who are studying accountancy, pharmacy, engineering, teaching, and journalism. More students are participating in skills, including five girls sponsored by Their World, another three are studying nursing and carpentry. A classroom has also been built at Mukuni Primary school.
NEW CLASSROOM – MUKUNI PRIMARY SCHOOL
We have an exciting project underway for some of our former sponsored students, funded by the Murphy Family Foundation. In May, Jonathan Sedo, a toursim consultant who has volunteered for The Butterfly Tree since 2013 flew to Zambia to initiate a youth project at Mukuni Village and the Victoria Falls. Every year around one million tourists visit this magnificent World Heritage site, known locally as the Mosi-Oa-Tunya Falls.
The aim of the project is for the youths to take visitors on a tour of Mukuni Village and the Victoria Falls. Tourists can gain an insight into the traditional culture of the Leya people from youths who were born in Mukuni, and learn about their culture.
SIX FORMER SPONSORED YOUTHS AND MANAGER OF THE TOUR GUIDES
The latest community project for women entitled ‘Hope for a Better Future’ has taken off and proving to be lucrative. Funded by our Canadian partner, Give a Hand, women in Sekute grow maize and vegetables, and rear chickens. Situated close to the town of Kazungula and the Botswana border these enterprising women have found a demand for rape, a vegetable high in calcium and phosphorus, and chickens. The project includes a grinding mill for maize which can be used by other communities for a small charge to add to the women’s income. Previously the nearest grinding mill was a distance of 8 kilometres. These women are now able to support their families and have ‘hope for a better future!’
As always we are grateful to everyone who has supported our grass root projects, which are impacting the lives of thousands of vulnerable children and communities.
I am delighted to present The Butterfly Tree’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22. This was our second best year since the founding of the charity in 2006. Our projects include water, food security, health, education, sustainable community projects, and an orphan support programme in Mukuni, Sekute, Musokotwane, Nyawa and Moomba Chiefdom – Kazungula District, Southern Province of Zambia.
Please scroll down the file to view the accounts, images and graphs or click on the link below to download the file.
Despite all the challenges and the increase in demand for charity donations, I am delighted to report that 2021-22 was the second-best year since the founding of The Butterfly Tree. The only other year when we raised more money was in 2019-20, though almost a quarter of the donations were to assist with emergency food relief when The Southern and Western Provinces suffered the worst drought in over 30 years. This past year has been exceptional in all sector with Water, Food, Health, Education, Community projects and of course our all-important orphan sponsorship programme being funded.
The Butterfly Tree was voted ‘Best Orphan Charity of the Year’ – Midlands Prestige Awards
Every donation, no matter how small, counts and is greatly appreciated. Whether it be from individuals, corporate, schools, clubs or from grant aid awards every donation goes directly into our vital grass root projects in Zambia. The Butterfly Tree is the biggest contributor to education in the Kazungula District, enabling more children access to basic and secondary education.
Our substantial contribution towards malaria prevention has made a significant impact in the global fight against malaria.
My sincere thanks to fellow trustees Ann and Jackie whose invaluable input, support and encouragement help to make the charity function efficiently. Many thanks to volunteers David, Carolyn, Leah, Valerie, Meg, and Mike for giving up their free time to help with fundraising, child protection and safeguarding, and youth projects which improve the lives of orphans and vulnerable people.
As always I cannot thank enough our incredible team in Zambia, their commitment and dedication is incomparable. Having our own locally registered NGO on the ground is what makes the charity sustainable. Mupotola Siloka (secretary), Rev. Presley Mulenga (education), Martin Mushabati (community projects/sport), Stain Musungaila (malaria prevention), Natasha Mufeya, (orphan sponsorship/peer education) and Sibeso Maseka (health) successfully manage and oversee all our projects.
We are extremely grateful to all our supporters from the UK, Republic of Ireland, Guernsey, USA, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Portugal and Hong Kong for helping to make 2021-22 such a successful and rewarding year!
A special thanks to our major donors. During this period their donations have funded the construction of classrooms, teacher’s and medical staff houses, health posts, borehole installation, orphan sponsorship, women’s and girls’ projects, and malaria and HIV prevention programmes.
We are deeply saddened by the news that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on Thursday, 8th September and thank Her Majesty wholeheartedly for her inspiration, dedication to service, and her lifelong committment to the peoples of our nations, the realms and the entire Commonwealth.
The Butterfly Tree members in the UK and Zambian send our sincere condolences to King Charles III, and to the entire Royal Family during this time of sorrow.
Queen Elizabeth II reigned from the 6 February 1952 until her death on 8 September 2022. Her reign lasted for 70 years and 214 days and was the longest of any previous British monarch, and the second-longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country.
Elizabeth was born in London on the 21st April 1926 and became Queen after the death of her father, King George VI – she was just 25 years old. Her Majesty’s coronation took place on 2nd June 1953 at Westminster Abbey. She was married to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died on 9th April, 2021 and left four children – Charles (now King Charles III), Anne, (Princess Royal), Prince Andrew and Prince Edward (Earl of Wessex).
Her Majesty’s State Funeral will take place on Monday 19 September at Westminster Abbey. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
Watching the Commonwealth Games and seeing the full integration of para-sport has been one of the highlights of this event, what a positive impact it must have had on the competitors. It has also created awareness on how, despite the difficulties, people can successfully manage their disabilities.
The Butterfly Tree supports special education in Zambia and built the first facilities in rural schools. The three classrooms at Mukuni, Katapazi and Simanga provide education for pupils with varying disabilities, which include Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy and intellectual impairement. A further grant from St.James’s Place Foundation has enabled us to purchase education and art materials for the three schools. We also provided funds for the Mukuni special needs pupils to attend an intersport competition, and for their classroom to be repainted.
SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASS – MUKUNI
Under the guidance of Thomas Chanda, Mukuni special education class has continued to offer exceptional tuition for many years. Joseph is just one example to benefit – diagnosed with cerebral palsy, he was unable to walk or speak when I met him in 2012. The charity funded a 12-month physiotherapy course after which his balance improved and he was able to walk. Ten years on Joseph can run, and plays football. He attends the special education class and has come on in leaps and bounds. Having being brought up by his grandparents and living in a small room, Joseph is excited to watch his new home being built.
JOSEPH’S HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Since 2006 The Butterfly Tree has sponsored thousands of individual orphans and vulnerable children. Originally starting in Mukuni we have expanded our reach to pupils at Ngandu, Kamwi, Ndele, River View, Musokotwane, Senkobo and Kazungula Boarding schools. Many of these children are living with elderly grandparents, widows, or guardians, often in dilapidated dwellings. I found one girl living with in an open-sided hut with chickens until we built her a new home. A further 8 orphans have recently received new houses with many more on the waiting list!
SPONSORED PUPILS – SENKOBO SCHOOL
The schools are currently closed for the month of August though pupils are able to attend The Butterfly Tree’sHIV prevention and Girls’ empowerment workshops. We aim to support more football and netballs teams so that youths can keep occupied during the weekends and holidays, with the aim of preventing HIV, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and drug and alcohol abuse.
MUKUNI UNDER-SEVENTEENS FOOTBALL TEAM
The recently completed science lab and classroom block at Sichifulo, funded in memory of a former volunteer and teacher to Mukuni, will enable more pupils to complete high school education. Two teacher’s houses are currently under construction at Musokotwane High School thanks to a donation from The Murphy Family Foundation, and construction for a new classroom block for Mukuni primary section will shortly commence. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 ‘Quality Education and ‘Why It Matters’ The Butterfly Tree believes that through education poverty can be overcome.
NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK – SICHIFULO SCHOOL
We are so grateful to the many donors who have continued to offer support, especially the Mukuni Village Fund, Australia who support 40 orphans. Many thanks also to all the individual donors, clubs and businesses who have contributed to the continuation of this vital programme as well as our water, health, food security, education and community projects.
For the first time since February 2020 I travelled back to Zambia last month. Though I was apprehensive about the journey due to the increase in cases of COVID-19 in South Africa, once I stepped off the plane at Livingstone Airport my reservations melted away when I saw our NGO trustees – I was back in my ‘second’ home!
The welcome I received from our volunteers, school children, clinics staff, and the communities was so overwhelming that on several occasions it was difficult to hold back the tears. The warmth, friendliness and optimism of the Zambian people is intoxicating. After a year-long drought, immediately followed by the pandemic, the resilience of the these people is quite remarkable – despite all the hardships they never lose hope.
EDUCATION
It was wonderful to see how many more schools we have recently developed or expanded. The most impressive was Musokotwane High School, generously funded by The Murphy Family Foundation. We constructed a 1×3 classroom block, science lab, two boarding shelters and toilets. Pupils no longer have to rent rooms in the village, which can put girls at risk of falling pregnant or being enticed into early marriages. The school has doubled in numbers since the expansion, and the Foundation has kindly offered a further donation to build two teacher’s houses.
MUSOKOTWANE HIGH SCHOOL
A classroom block at Chabalanda, also in Musokotwane Chiefdom, has recently been completed. An additional classroom block, constructed by our trained youth builders, at Kamwi Primary school has given the school the opportunity to upgrade. As of January 2023 grades 8 and 9 pupils will no longer have to walk the 9km to Mukuni High School.
NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK – KAMWI
Accompanied by Mupotola, Presley and Martin, I drove to Bunsanga school and clinic to see two more of our projects, after which we continued to the remote village of Mubuyu where our trained youth builders have constructed a classroom block. The journey was arduous – 80km from Livingstone to Zimba was an easy drive, but once I turned off the main road and drove beyond Nyawa, it was a different story – the tracks were bad! It took three hours to drive just 77km due to the rough terrain but the long and tiring journey was well worth the toil. The community members were so welcoming and could not thank us enough for our support, especially for providing the community with ground maize during the 2019/2020 drought.
DONATION OF SCHOOL JUMPERS – MUBUYU
I also visited River View, Senkobo, Kamwi and Ngandu schools to meet up with the orphans and vulnerable children on our orphan sponsorship programme. Sadly, I did not get chance to meet everyone as some lessons are staggered, but met many of them and also found new children in need of sponsorship.
SPONSORED PUPILS – RIVER VIEW SCHOOL
We introduced our HIV prevention and Girl’s Empowerment programmes to more schools. Natasha, John and Austin, three former sponsored pupils who completed college and university, are managing these essential programmes which are definitely making an impact. We are also engaging youths in sport to keep them occupied at the weekends and during the holidays. Last month Scott McClure, a donor/volunteer, visited Zambia, donated football strips and equipment as well as supporting a football tournament organised by The Butterfly Tree in Zambia.
HIV PREVENTION WORKSHOPS – NGANDU
HEALTH PROJECTS
On arrival at Mukuni Rural Health Centre the Medical Officer came straight up to me to thank The Butterfly Tree for the donations of PPE during the pandemic. ‘Had it not been for your donations we would have surely lost some of our medical staff’.
COVID-19 numbers are currently low in Zambia but we will continue this vital support after learning that clinics struggle to purchase soap and hand sanitizing gel. Blooms the Chemist, Australia, send monthly donations to help Simonga, Bunsanga and Mambova rural health posts. A nurse at Simonga told me that the donated equipment had recently helped them to save the life of a baby who was breach!
As for malaria prevention – Moomba Chiefdom, having the highest prevalence of malaria in the District, received a consignment of safe insecticidal coating to paint on the inside of dwellings. In addition, we donated mosquito nets to young children in Mukuni and 1,000 nets to schools in the Ngwezi area.
DISTRIBUTION OF MOSQUITO NETS – MUKUNI
Sadly, malaria cases have increased globally partly due to the delay in interventions caused by COVID-19. However, our ‘mosquito nets for schools’ project is proving to be highly effective in helping to reduce the number of malaria cases amongst pupils and teachers. Our aim is to raise more funds to protect children from this life-threatening disease.
DISTRIBUTION OF SAFE INSECTICIDAL PAINT – MOOMBA
WATER & SANITATION PROJECTS
The rainy season has now come to an end and no rain is expected to fall until November. In the past month The Butterfly Tree drilled boreholes at Simukombo, James Sichetema and Mabwe Schools, and Mukuni Village. The first school proved to be challenging due to it being a sandy area, I was even given an opportunity to test water divining! Water was eventually found at the second site, just as the sun was setting, at 60 metres. The borehole for Mukuni Village with an excess of 8,000 people will help to alleviate the water shortages in Namyola section.
DRILLING AT SIMKOMBO SCHOOL
FOOD & COMMUNITY PROJECTS
We continue to provide bags of ground maize to the orphans and children on our sponsorship programme. The rains this year were poor in the Southern Province and many crops perished.
Two of the women’s projects, generously funded by our Canadian partner, Give a Hand, are progressing well. ‘Mangoes of Hope’ will provide 200 women in Musokotwane with a sustainable income-generating enterprise. Mango produce, including dried mango, juice and jam will be sold commercially. When mangoes are not in season tomatoes will be grown.
‘Hope for a Better Future’ is in the final stage of development for 200 women in Sekute to rear chickens and grow vegetables.
CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE PROJECT – SEKUTE
A further donation from Motive Real Estate, Texas and one from a private donor for community housing, has funded new homes for orphans. Once permission is given to cut grass for thatching on July 1st more houses will be construced.June to August is winter in Zambia and the night temperature can drop to four degrees where many children are living in dilapidated mud huts. We also provide blankets for all the children who are being sponsored.
NEW HOME FOR ORPHAN ON SPONSORSHIP
As always we are grateful to everyone who has supported our work in Zambia and to our wonderful local team who manage and monitor all of our projects. If you would like any further information on a specific projects please contact me via email: jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk
Despite all the challenges and the increase in demand for charity donations, I am delighted to report that 2021-22 was the second-best year since the founding of The Butterfly Tree. The only other year when we raised more money was in 2019-20, though almost a quarter of the donations was to assist with emergency food relief when The Southern and Western Provinces suffered the worst drought in over 30 years. This past year has been exceptional and thanks to our local team in Zambia numerous projects have been successfully initiated, managed and monitored.
There were many highlights during the past year – the main one being the development of a rural health post in the remote area of Katondo in Nyawa Chiefdom. Once again we received a generous grant award from Guernsey Overseas Aid and Development Commission to fund this. The project included a clinic, two staff houses, toilets, a borehole and a biodigester, as well as equipment and mosquito nets. This is a great assett to the area as the nearest clinic was in excess of 20km. We are also grateful to Blooms the Chemist, Australia, who sent regular donations to support Simonga, Bunsanga and Mambova Rural Health Centres.
NEW HEALTH POST – KANTONDO
As always we continue to support malaria prevention. According to The World Health Organisation’s latest malaria report 2020 saw an increase of 14,000,000 on the previous year and 627,000 deaths. This increase was partly due to the disruptions in distributions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to further donations from the Association of Inner Wheel and Stratford Rotary Club we have donated insecticidal coating to Moomba Chiefdom, and several thousand mosquito nets to schools in Moomba and Ngwezi areas.
‘MOSQUITO NETS FOR SCHOOLS’ – MALIMBA
The Murphy Family Foundation gave a substantial donation towards our education programmes. This donation provided textbooks, shared amongst primary and secondary schools throughout the Kazungula District, but the majority of the Foundation’s funding paid for further education. Five students who completed school after being on The Butterfly Tree’s orphan sponsorship programme are currently attending university reading the following courses: pharmacy, engineering, accountancy (2) and teaching. In addition, eight students are learning skills at college. A further six young women are being funded to go to college by Theirworld and two private donors are sponsoring two nurses.
TEXTBOOK DONATIONS – KAZUNGULA RURAL SCHOOLS
The Butterfly Tree has been sponsoring orphans since 2006. Every year more sponsors come on board and this year Senkobo Primary School was added to this list. The other schools where orphans and vulnerable children are being sponsored are: Mukuni, Kamwi, Ngandu, Ndele and River View and Kazungula Boarding School. Nine pupils completed school in December 2021 – the girls at River View gained exceptionally good results. Standards at River View, situated next to Botswana border, have improved considerably since we built the high school, rarely do girls fall pregnant or enter into early marriages.
ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP – SENKOBO PRIMARY SCHOOL
There are still far too many pupils still learning in mud and pole buildings and overcrowded rooms. We constructed a classroom block at Kamwi Primary School to enrol grades 8 and 9 pupils, which will save them having to walk the long journey to Mukuni. A classroom block in Chabalanda, Musokotwane Chiefdom, was completed at the end of last year, and one is currently being built at Mubuyu in Nyawa. The community at Sichifulo had attempted to build a classroom block and science lab but this would have taken years. Using money left to The Butterfly Tree by the late Richard Reid, a retired teacher who volunteered in Zambia after which he supported the sponsorship of orphans for many years, this project will shortly be completed.
NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK – CHABALANDA
As always there is a need for boreholes. Last year we were fortunate to have been awarded a substantial grant from Fedex. This enabled us to install boreholes in remote areas where the communities relay on drawing drinking water from streams and rivers. The rainy season is about to end, therefore we will shortly resume this vital programme and add the remainder of the boreholes from the grant aid as well as others. One of our donors will be running the Vitality London 10k race on May 2nd to raise money for a borehole for Haboomba, which will supply 1,558 people with safe clean water.
SUCCESSFUL DRILLING FOR A BOREHOLE – NAMPAKA
Give a Hand, our Canadian partner, who had previously funded a beekeeping project for 200 women in Mubuyu gave a further donation to progress with the ‘Mangoes of Hope’ project for 200 women in Musokotwane. The women have received extensive training in the production of dried mangoes, mango juice, mango jam and mango chutney. Give a Hand also funded a chicken and vegetable growing project for 200 Sekute, which will shortly up and running. Each of these projects will provide sustainable income-generating enterprices for women living in remote areas.
MANGO PRODUCTION – MUSOKOTWANE
Several of the orphans on our sponsorship programme were given new homes thanks to Motive Real Estate, Texas, In addition, a private donor sent a donation to fund four more houses for widows and orphans. These will be finished once the dried grasses are available for the thatched roofs. No one is permitted to cut the grasses until June when they should be completely dry. Women in Manyemuyemu and Sikachapa have welcomed the addition of mother’s shelters in their communities. Women who live a long distance from the health centre will no longer opt to deliver their babies at home, instead they can stay at the shelters a week prior to the onset of labour. These were kindly funded by the Society of the Sacred Heart who also funded a Girls’ Empowerment project, which is proving to be invaluable.
GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT – MUKUNI VILLAGE
Towards the end of this financial year youths in Mukuni Chiefdom had a major highlight. We have been working with Pepe’s Zambia-Football Foundation for the past two years. Founder, Scott McClure, after donating a vast amount of football strips and equipment and two new goal posts for Mukuni pitches, arrived in Zambia. Organised by The Butterfly Tree a tournament with twelve teams taking place was scheduled for early April. We use football and netball as a means to creating awareness of the dangers of HIV, teenage pregnancies, and alcohol and drug abuse.
MUKUNI UNITED FOOTBALL TEAM
The new financial year for 2022-23 has got off to a good start and we hope the support will continue during the next 12 months. If you would like to support a specific project please contact jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk or if you would like to help Zahid raise money for a borehole at Haboomba please click on this link
Many, many thanks to all our generous donors and fundraisers for making this such a successful year, and to all our volunteers in the UK and Zambia for their committment and dedication in helping to improve the lives of orphans and vulnerable people. A full Annual Report will be published once our accounts have been audited.
My sincere apologies for the delay in sending a newsletter. The reason is not because there wasn’t anything to report last month, quite the contrary, as we are about to complete one of our most successful years since the founding of The Butterfly Tree in 2006. The reason is because we are relocating!
For the past 16 years the charity’s head office has been in Warwickshire. All our Trustees and volunteers, throughout the country and internationally, work from their homes. Nothing will change as regards our concept but I am moving to Surrey so that I can live closer to my family. For the next few months the charity will be registered, at no cost, at a temporary address, which will be listed on the website.
THE BUTTERFLY TREE SUPPORTS ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN ZAMBIA
The Butterfly Tree has donors from all of the UK as well as globally. Moving to a new area gives us the opportunity to engage more schools, clubs and organisations. What appeals to donors is that we do not deduct any administration, personal fees not office space, which enables us to give between 96-98% of all money raised to those most in need.
ONE OF THE TWO HOUSES FOR MEDICAL STAFF – KATONDO
One of our most vital projects is that of healthcare. Thanks to a substantial grant from the Guernsey Overseas Aid and Development Commission this month we have completed the construction of a much needed health post at Katondo in a remote area of Nyawa. The main clinic is 53km from Katondo and the only other clinic is in Western Province, a distance of 23km. During the rainy season when tracks become inaccessible people must to one of these clinics to seek medical attention. Consequently most women must deliver their babies at home. This worthwhile project includes a clinic, two staff houses, a borehole, biodigester, toilets, equipment, and a donation of mosquito nets.
ONE OF THE TWO MEDICAL STAFF HOUSES – KATONDO
Sadly, malaria has increased this year, not just in Zambia but globally. The World Health Organisation recently stated that a third of the increase is due to COVID-19, not because there is a lack of interventions but because of the delay in distribution. In Moomba Chiefdom, where is an epidemic, The Butterfly Tree has donated insecticidal coating to paint the inside of dwellings – when a mosquito lands on the paint it flies off and dies. Mosquito nets have also been donated to schools in Nyawa, Moomba, and in the Ngezi area will be next. We are very grateful to the Association of Inner Wheels Clubs for their commitment in helping us to eradicate malaria.
DISTRIBUTION OF MOSQUITO NETS – SICHIFULO SCHOOL
Three other health posts at Simonga, Mambova and Bunsanga are being regularly supported thanks to donations from Blooms the Chemist, Australia. We have two school leavers from our orphan sponsorship programme studying nursing. Two young men who recently completed a degree in teaching while waiting for their results are volunteering for The Butterfly Tree. Besides offering extra tuition to pupils who failed exams they are going to hold workshops to help prevent HIV and teenage pregnancies in Kamwi, Ngandu and Mukuni.
JOHN AND AUSTIN, AFTER COMPLETING THEIR DEGREES, VOLUNTEER FOR THE BUTTERFLY TREE
Other education projects currently being developed are a classroom block at Mubuyu, a science and classroom block at Sichifulu, support for Kamwi school and a donation for desks and lab stools for Mukuni Secondary School from Arnewood School. Currently we are sponsoring 21 students at several colleges and universities who are taking the following courses: teaching, accountancy, journalism, engineering, pharmacy, nursing, forward, catering, building and welding. The Murphy Family Foundation and private donors have provided the funds. Other pupils, like Gertrude, opted to seek employment. Out of 200 applicants Gertrude was one of only five to be selected as an administrator on a Hospital Management team. In her own words: ‘Thank you for picking me from being a street child to who I am today, I lost both her parents when I was young and had no hope of going to school. I went on to complete grade 12 with 3 merits and 4 passes because of The Butterfly Tree.’
MATILDA, FROM A REMOTE AREA IN NORTHERN PROVINCE, NOW ATTENDING NURSING COLLEGE
In addtion to our health and education projects more boreholes are to be installed, further development for the women’s mango and chicken and vegetables projects funded by Give a Hand, and additional houses for orphans and the elderly are to be built. After receiving intensive training on the production of mango products the 200 women in Musokotwane are delighted that they will shortly have a sustainable income-generating enterprise.
TRAINING IN MANGO PRODUCE FOR 200 MUSOKOTWANE WOMEN
From the 17th March The Butterfly Tree will no longer be based in Warwickshire, the new address will be listed on our website on Thursday. Everything else will remain the same. As we approach our financial year end I would like to thank everyone for the tremendous support we have received not just for this past year, but since 2006.
As the New Year dawned many of us coping with the challenges of the pandemic continue to hope that life will soon get back to normal. We have all been affected and had to deal with it in different ways. Running The Butterfly Tree has helped to keep me focused and realise how fortunate we are in the UK to have the NHS, readily available vaccinations, and instant communication with our friends and families.
PUPILS AT NGANDU SCHOOL
The Butterfly Tree’s aim is, and always has been, to improve the lives of of orphans and vulnerable children in some the poorest communities on the planet. When COVID-19 reached Zambia health facilities were ill-equipped to cope with it. Most clinics and schools had no masks, soap, hand sanitiser or disinfectant. Thanks to the support of our generous donors we have assisted 30 clinics and 20 schools with a continual supply of PPE. To date masks remain mandatory indoors and at public gatherings and cases have reduced in the past few months.
PROVISION OF PPE IN SCHOOLS AND HEALTH CENTRES
The health post at Bunsanga is just one example of how having adequate facilities can help to say lives. People presenting malaria symptoms can get tested and treated quickly, women can give birth knowing that there is medical aid on hand and no longer need to walk long distances for post and antenatal clinics, or to get their children vaccinated. Blooms the Chemist, Australia, provide invaluable ongoing support for Bunsanga, Simonga and Mambova health posts.
MAMBOVA RURAL HEALTH CENTRE
Thanks to the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission and Development we have built health centres and posts at Sikuanzwe, Bunsanga and the latest one at Katondo, soon to be completed. In addition we have constructed an entire health centre at Mahalulu and a health post at Muchambila. At Mukuni and Simonga we added maternity wards and mother’s shelter. Singwamba, Musokotwane, Kasiya and Mambova were also given mother’s shelters, Manyemuyemu and Sikapa were added to the list in 2021. These shelters provide accommodation for women from outreach villages before the onset of labour, preventing women having to walk long distances when in labour.
HEALTH POST UNDER CONSTRUCTION – KATONDO
As always malaria prevention is one of our main priorities, mosquito nets are being given out to school children after a successful fundraising campaign leading up to Christmas. The rainy season is from November to April, and this is when malaria is most prevalent, so thank you to everyone for helping us to protect more children.
PUPILS AT SICHIFULO SCHOOL RECEIVING MOSQUITO NETS
This month sees the start of the new school year in Zambia. The date has been put back to the 24th January due to COVID-19, but unlike the previous two years the numbers of cases are not so high. Results have recently been announced for grades 7 and 9, while a few of the orphans on sponsorship have failed many have done well, most especially girls. The aim of our the new Girl’s Empowerment project, which was initiated last year, is to encourage teenage girls to avoid early pregnancies and to complete their education.
GIRL EMPOWERMENT – MUKUNI VILLAGE
More students are being enrolled at college and university this year. Courses include accountancy, journalism, nursing and catering. Other students that started their courses last year are studying pharmacy, nursing, engineering, accountancy, computing, forward and clearing, building, carpentry and welding. The Murphy Family Foundation, Their World and individual sponsors have given these youths a wonderful opportunity to improve their lives and that of their families.
CHRISTOPHER – SPONSORED TO STUDY ACCOUNTANCY AT UNIVERSITY
Recent developments in schools have included the completion of a science lab at Sichifulo and teacher’s houses at Muchambila and Muyunda. A classroom block is under construction at Chabalanda and a further one soon to be started in a new area. Once finished these facilities are handed over to the communities, and Ministry of Education who will provide qualified teachers.
NEW SCIENCE LABOROTARY – SICHILFULO SCHOOL
The mango project in Musokotwane and the chicken and vegetable project in Sekute are progressing well. Each project should provide a sustainable income for 200 women living in remote areas, thanks to our Canadian partner Give A Hand. The women receive training on how to develop these projects, and in business and project management.
SUSTAINABLE CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE PROJECT FOR SEKUTE WOMEN
Our aim for the coming months is to expand our malaria prevention programme, build additional community houses for orphans and widows, install more boreholes in schools and to seek funding for further development in education, health, and sustainable income-generating enterprises.
I would like to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year.
