Food, Homes and Sponsorship for Orphans

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

It never rains but it pours – as the proverb goes! After two years of drought the rains in Zambia have come in abundance, though this is great news for the farmers and school feeding programmes it comes with a price. Several schools and many mud huts have been damaged because of high winds and heavy rains.

Mubiana Community School – Mukuni Chiefdom

As always working in Africa is challenging. Extreme poverty, malaria, HIV and AIDS, and climate change are just some of the serious issues people living in countries like Zambia face daily. The work of The Butterfly Tree has helped to transform the lives of thousands of orphans and vulnerable children by providing improved education and health facilities, safe drinking water, feeding programmes and better housing.

New Bore Hole and Indian Hand Pump for Nguba Pupils in the Nyawa Chiefdom

Motive Real Estate has donated two further houses and will raise their number of donations throughout the year. For the elderly living in villages life is tough. Many have lost their children as a result of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, left with orphaned grandchildren and no income. Our community house project has provided homes for over seventy families.

Houses – Provided for the Elderly and Windows with Orphans

For the start of the new school year eighteen schools have been given seeds and fertiliser to grow food for their feeding programmes. A considerable number of new orphans are being sponsored mainly at Mukuni, N’gandu, Kamwi, Ndele and River View Schools, and seven students are attending college.

This Year Jacob Will Complete His Final Year at Agricultural College

Regrettably, we have had a problem with several teenage girls at in Mukuni and neighbouring villages falling pregnant. Not only have they lost the chance to complete their education, but there will be no support provided by social services. We are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening, we have trained peer educators who hold regular workshops on HIV prevention, teenage pregnancies and alcohol abuse, but sadly some still fall by the wayside.

Former Sponsored Orphans Trained as Peer Educators – Mukuni School

On a positive side the orphan sponsorship programme has enabled hundreds of orphans to receive a sound basic education. Some of the ones we started sponsoring back in 2006 have not only completed school, but have gained a college certificate and many others have sought employment. For just £10 per month an orphan is given hope and a chance for a better future. Thank to everyone of our sponsors for your invaluable support.

Happy New Year 2017

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

2016 has been a very successful year for The Butterfly Tree Charity. So much has been achieved that it is impossible to write about everything, so for today I would like to share with you an amazing success story about Brian Mulwani, one of the beneficiaries of our orphan sponsorship programme, who is now training to be a pilot in South Africa.

Brian training to be a pilot in South Africa

We started sponsoring Brian in grade 8 at Mukuni Basic School, after he had achieved good results in grade 7. When he later took his exams at the end of grade 9 he did so well that the government offered Brian a place at a High School, where he would have to board, and I was asked to sponsor him. However, in 2007 we had built and opened the High School at Mukuni Village, so that orphaned and rural pupils could afford to complete their education. Consequently I was reluctant to approve this, especially as boarding school fees are obviously much higher.

Brian attending Mukuni Basic School – 2009

Unfortunately I had to explain to Brian that we could sponsor two more orphans for the extra money needed to send him to boarding school, and that I could not grant him this opportunity. It was a difficult decision knowing that he would excel at a more advanced school than Mukuni. However, though at first disappointed, he accepted it and completed high school in 2015.

Brian at Mukuni High School – 2013

Attending High School at Mukuni Village was challenging for Brian, but proved to be hugely beneficial. During this time some American tourists visited the school and met Brian. After they learnt that he wanted to be a pilot they offered to sponsor him. Coming from a humble background this was an incredible opportunity for Brian, he has embraced it and I am sure he will do exceeding well.

Brian training to be a pilot 2016

In his words:
‘Thank you so much Jane, I am and will always be grateful for your help. I remember when I wrote my grade nine exams and qualified to go to a boarding school but things never worked that way, I got mentally disturbed such that it affected my performance during my high school and my final results from secondary. I am humbled that even when I had to repeat to grade 11 you still continued to help me, and today by the grace of God I am pursuing my career to become an airline pilot. I am very sure my Teachers are proud and very soon will be very proud to say ”one of our own is now pilot” and that is my desire to inspire my brothers and sisters that it is not about the environment but the mindset of an individual. Always grateful and humbled’. Brian

I would like to say an enormous ‘thank you’ to everyone of our orphan sponsors, and all our donors, fundraisers and volunteers from around the world and to wish you all a very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.

Jane Kaye-Bailey

Orphans Give Back

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

Coming from remote villages in Zambia the majority of children have to walk daily, from one to ten miles each way, to seek an education. The facility may only be a mud hut with an untrained teacher, but the eagerness to learn, shown by these vulnerable children, never seizes to amaze me. Education is everything to them.

Bunsanga Community School in need of a Permanent classroom

Since 2006 The Butterfly Tree has run an orphan sponsorship programme for children who have lost one or both parents. Several hundred children have received a sound basic education, now many of the original beneficiaries have completed school.

Josias Muuba now a trained pre-school teacher

Over the past ten years we have build a considerable number of schools and teachers houses, installed bore hole and latrines, improved the health facilities, all for the benefit of the orphans. In addition we have provided vast amounts of educational material, sports and classroom equipment and much needed boarding shelters to enable older children to attend High School.

Singwamba Primary School development funded by Attraction Tickets Direct

What has impressed me most is the desire for these educated orphans to give back to their community. Jacob, when he completed grade 12, thanked me and added ‘What can I do to help The Butterfly Tree?’ He has since been a volunteer at Mukuni Health Centre, helped us with the orphan and malaria prevention programmes, and is about to start his final year at agricultural college.

Jacob helping with the malaria prevention programme – Chuunga Village

Others like Josias, Edwin, Natasha, Joe, Sammy, Florence, Mufiani, and Etkin have followed suit by volunteering for the charity. Most importantly many of them have become trained peer educators in HIV prevention, a programme that was written especially for these young Zambians by Mutsa Marau, one of our UK volunteers. Natasha and Bridget are full time volunteers at the clinic.

Former sponsored orphans turned peer educators

‘Catch me I’m a Butterfly Tree’ teaches school children about the dangers of HIV and AIDS, early teenage pregnancies, STI’s and drug and alcohol abuse. I spent several days in March observing and working with these young peer educators, it was truly inspirational. They are motivated role models and the ones that will make the change for their peers and families to lead healthier lives.

Bridget, Natasha and Florence conducting an HIV prevention workshop – Mukuni

When funds are available we sponsor orphans to go to college. The courses include hotel management, teaching, engineering and computing to name but a few. The British and Foreign School Society sponsored 20 students, out of these 18 have sought employment. Our aim is to source funds to provide further education opportunities for the orphans, and to create a training centre for young entrepreneurs.

Petronella employed as a maid at Avani Hotel, saving for teacher’s training college

A message from Petronella:

‘I would like to thank you for the sponsorship you gave me towards my education. I believe that for me I am where I am today because of you and can’t imagine how I would have ended up if I hadn’t been offered the chance to get an education.’

We are so grateful to everyone of our sponsors, most especially the Mukuni Village Trust in Australia, who have sponsored between 40 and 50 orphans for the past several years and the Callaways who have annually sponsored 15 orphans since 2008.

If you would like to sponsor an orphan to go to school or a student to go to college, please contact jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk

Nakwali Balumbi

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

Sponsor an orphan program – Natwali aged 10

Natwali has been on The Butterfly Tree orphan sponsorship program since 2010. She lives with her grandmother and attends Mukuni Basic School. Having a sponsor has given Natwali the opportunity to remain in Mukuni Village with all her friends and has given her hope of a better life.

Natwali aged 8 attending Mukuni Basic School

Annastasia Mutongo

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

“Informing you that I am a girl, aged 15 years and was born on the 18th April 1993. My father died when I was one year and six months old and my mother died when I was three years old. Am a person who likes going to school and I like playing netball, singing and dancing. I live in Zambia’s Southern Province in Mukuni Village. At Mukuni I live with my grandmother. At school I am doing grade nine and my hobby is singing gospel music.

Annastasia at Mukuni Basic School

When I was in grade six life was very miserable but since I came under The Butterfly Tree sponsorship life is now better. I wish to complete my education and be a better person in future. I like joking with people who encourage me about life and education. In November I will have my final examination. My hope is just based on education and I hope I will be fine at the end of the day.”

You can sponsor an orphan like Annastasia for £95 per annum.

Mukabalengu Siachinene

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

“From the time you chose me to be one of the people to be sponsored I have really moved a step forward in my life. Since my father died on the 8th September of 2003, my life entirely depended on my cousin, who also has a family to look after. Now you pay an important role in my life such that I cannot think of my dead parents. I appreciate your support and hope that this will continue for the rest of my school life.”

Mukabalengu at Mukuni Basic School

Mukabalengu had TB in 2006 and is now fully recovered and enjoying life at Mukuni Basic School.

Jesse Musowe

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

Jesse Musowe used to lived in Kamwi Village with her mother, twin brothers & step-father. She is now fifteen years old and in grade nine at Mukuni Basic School. To earn money to provide for the family her step-father had grown vegetables some miles from their home then carried two heavy loads twice a week to Livingstone, a distance of twenty miles from Kamwi. To ease the burden The Butterfly Tree bought the old man a donkey and asked him to provide his vegetables for our feeding program at Mukuni school , only three miles from his home.

In 2010 Jesse’s stepfather died leaving her mother to support the children. However Jesse’s brothers to earn an income collected charcoal and used the donkey, named ‘Butterfly’ to carry their loads. Sadly in 2011 there mother passed away and the children had to find new homes. Jesse and Siakuba both live with the senior headman and his family in Kamwi and Aaron lives with a friend.

Sponsor an orphan – Jesse Musowe

The Butterfly Tree has also added Aaron and Saikuba, both seventeen years of age, to our orphan sponsorship program, all three children are gaining a good education. Jesse particularly is doing extremely well at school.

Sponsor an orphan program – Siatuba and Aaron sponsored

Jesse, aged 10, with her family in Kamwi Village

Oliver Kamwi

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

Oliver Kamwi lost his father when he was very young. His mother in order to earn money to feed her young, gave herself to men in return for payment, she has five other children to support, Oliver is the oldest. When he first arrived to start grade seven at Mukuni Basic School he only possessed the torn clothes that he was wearing. He now benefits from the orphan sponsorship program. Oliver lives in Kamwi Village and each day walks the three miles to Mukuni Basic School, where he not only receives an education thanks to his sponsor but also a daily nutritional meal from the feeding program provided The Butterfly Tree.

Oliver back left with his mother and siblings

Shilla Mwanakwaba

Posted on September 21, 2008 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

Shilla Mwanakwaba is 11 years old and comes from Mukuni Village, she lost her mother when she was 6 and comes from a large family. She has been sponsored by The Butterfly Tree since December 2006. For the past few years she has looked after by an aunt who also has several younger children to care for. One of our representatives, who check on the welfare of our orphans, believed the Shilla was not receiving proper care with the aunt so is now living with her grandmother in nearby Livingstone town. Shilla, though missing her friends at Mukuni, is being well cared for and her grades at school, have greatly improved.

Photo: Shilla aged 11 years from Mukuni Village

Olbert Kamungondo

Posted on August 4, 2008 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

Olbert Kamungondo was born in 1986 and when he was just five months old his mother and all other passengers were killed in a bus accident, where Olbert was the only survivor. His father took his old brother and moved away from the Mukuni chiefdom, leaving Olbert with his grandparents. At a later stage his uncle took him to Kamwi village primary school to start his education. Unfortunately when his uncle remarried Olbert was no longer made welcome, so he then went to live with a teacher at Mukuni Basic School, who looked after Olbert until he completed grade 9, after which he had to fend for himself.

In January 2007, at the age of 20, Olbert was sponsored by The Butterfly Tree and was allowed to live in one of the shelters we built for pupils who live long distances from the school. They were having to sleep on the ground with only a thin blanket each. During the day he was entitled to The Butterfly Tree’s feeding program and was expected to provide supper for himself and his younger cousin. However the only way he could make money to buy food was by selling curios; sadly his grades began to fall. We believe that Olbert is a survivor and has great potential so in addition we bought him two matresses, warm blankets and have agreed to provide a monthly income to cover his expenses.

Photo: Olbert in Mukuni Village, on the right, with mattress