WORLD AIDS DAY 2014

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

Today marks WORLD AIDS DAY, ‘an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. More than 35 million people have died from the virus, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history‘. An estimated 34 million people are believed to have HIV.

Though much has been done and many advances made, more people need to know the facts about HIV, prevention and protection. There is still a great deal of stigma and discrimination, increased awareness is needed, not just in developing countries, but also in developed countries, where complacency occurs. Zambia is one the countries that has been devastated by the pandemic, leaving 710,000 orphaned.

Orphan sponsorship – Young Mukuni girl

The Butterfly Tree supports orphans, providing improved healthcare and education in rural villages. Unlike townships these communities do not have access to media, books or classes, relying on health workers and non-government organisations to provide vital support. Every family in Zambia is effected or infected with the virus, treatment is free and readily available, however more needs to be done to protect the future generations.

HIV – voluntary testing and treatment is essential

In 2011 one of our volunteers, Mutsa Marau, initiated an HIV prevention programme through peer education, which is proving to be hugely successful. Having trained a group of school pupils, these brave young educators hold workshops in rural schools, delivering a powerful message. Today the group are organising activities in Mukuni Village, funded by The Butterfly Tree. This new generation can make the change!

Meet Mutsa’s ‘Catch Me I’m a Butterfly!’

The theme for WORLD AIDS DAY 2014 is: ‘Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free Generation’

If you would like to offer support we are currently running a matched funding campaign. Any donation received between now and December 8th has a strong chance of being matched. Please click on DONATE to make a donation on our special fundraising page. If you prefer to make a bank transfer, send a cheque or require further details please contact jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk

Matched Funding

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

We have got off to a great start with our campaign to raise extra funds for Christmas. A private donor has offered to match funds up to the value of £8,000. Anyone who would like to make a donation between now and the 8th December has a strong chance of getting their donation matched.

Please click on DONATE to make a donation on our special fundraising page. If you would prefer to make a bank transfer, send a cheque or require further details please contact jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk

EDUCATING ORPHANS & VULNERABLE CHILDREN

The Butterfly Tree is working in four Chiefdoms in the Southern Province of Zambia, assisting several thousand orphaned and vulnerable children. Your donations will help to reach out to more rural communities and orphans who need safe water, health and education facilities as well as protection from malaria.

Malaria remains the biggest killer of man. According to the World Health Organisation ‘ in 2012, 90% of all malaria deaths occurred in the WHO African Region, mostly among children under 5 years of age. Malaria prevention methods are vital.

MALARIA PREVENTION CAN HELP TO SAVE A CHILD’S LIFE

DONATE to The Butterfly Tree knowing that your money will be used where it is most needed, NO administration or personal fees will be deducted. We aim to use the matched funding towards the purchase a much needed vehicle for our amazing team in Zambia.

Boost Education & Malaria Prevention

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

The build up to Christmas is truly under way – festive lights illuminating the high streets, TV and radio media advertising the latest computer games and supermarket crammed with treats. With so much turmoil happening around the globe, the raging wars, the natural disasters and the Ebola crisis, to mention but a few, it’s hard to get enthusiastic about Christmas. The unwanted gifts, the over indulgence, the unnecessary stress it all creates is it really worth it? There are so many good causes that need supporting and this is the perfect time for giving.

A recent quote from one of our orphan sponsors sums it up: ‘With all the excess involved in Christmas and even everyday spending on silly things, it is genuinely a delight to give money to people who really need it.’

Sponsor an orphan through The Butterfly Tree

This month The Butterfly Tree has received some amazing donations and grants. The British and Foreign School Society has approved a grant for a 1×2 classroom block and latrines for Ndele Primary School. This is just one of many education projects funded by the BFSS since 2007. Mukuni Special Education unit is to get a boost thanks to a generous donation from Pegnet, Germany and several more children have been added to our orphan sponsorship programme.

Ndele pupils to receive new classroom

November is Zambia is the start of the rainy season, after six months without a drop of rain the farmers and rural communities are rejoicing. This is the time for planting maize and other crops to secure enough food to store through the prolonged dry season. The downside is that the wet season increases the risk of contracting malaria. Chuunga Village has reported four new cases. We are working with Biotech International to bring new innovative methods of prevention to Zambia. Supported by Saga Charitable Foundation who has donated substantial funds to help boost this project, we aim to make the change. In addition New Textiles has donated over 100 protective t-shirts, which have been distributed amongst children at Mahalulu School.

Mahalulu pupils receiving protective t-shirts

This year we are not taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. Many people found this very stressful and complained that they could not get the donation on in time. It is highly competitive and time consuming. Instead we have a private donor who has offered to match funds up to the value of £8,000. Anyone who would like to make a donation between now and the 8th December has a strong chance of getting their donation matched. Please click on DONATE to make a donation or contact jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk if you would like to make a bank transfer, send a cheque or require further details.

September Newsletter

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

The Butterfly Tree has come a long way since 2006, gaining a sound reputation for transparency, attracting a global following, as well as continuing to be run by a team of dedicated and hard-working volunteers. After recently spending three weeks in Zambia there is so much to report, so many stories to tell and many people to thank.

Visit to Nampuyani School

The start of the trip was spent hosting Geoff Crill, a Commissioner from our major donor organisation, the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission. After three days visiting rural schools at Kamwi, Ndele, Mukuni, Machenje, Matengu and Silelo, we ended with a visit to the newly opened clinic at Mahalulu, the Commissioner was impressed! He saw first-hand how far we have reached, the challenges we face, met our wonderful team of volunteers and personally funded the repair of the Silelo borehole. A new Community Work Project is to be funded by JOAC for the expansion of N’gandu School for 2015, when volunteers from Jersey will travel to Zambia to help with the construction of the project.

JOAC Commissioner. Geoff Crill, addresses the community – Mahalulu Health Centre

Further development is taking place at Nampuyani, where a new borehole has been added, thanks to Just a Drop and funded by Attraction Tickets Direct who also paid for the addition of latrines and restoration of the school. Previously the only source of water was collected from bacteria infected shallow wells. The three hour drive to Nampuyani was tough, driving across river beds and a little too close for comfort to bush fires! However the joy of seeing children pumping safe clean water, was both humbling and overwhelming, and well worth the effort.

New borehole for Nampuyani School

Muchimbale School, also in the Nyawa Chiefdom, underwent extensive development in 2013. Now thanks to further funding from a private donor a health post is to be added to reduce the distance that this community has to walk to seek medical attention. Moving on the Musokotwane Chiefdom Simango School, with some 750 pupils, has the addition of a Special Education unit, jointly funded by St. James Place Foundation and The Besom.

Special Education class for Simango pupils

Three Enactus students from Sheffield University successfully initiated two projects for school leavers in the Mukuni Chiefdom. After funding repairs to four boreholes, a sustainable WASHcom. was set up in remote villages. Six school leavers are now operating a soap-making project and supplying their products to local hotels and lodges. Among the local supporters are Safpar and Stanley Safari Lodge. Emma Kennedy, our UK volunteer, returned to Zambia for three months to assist with our grass root projects.

Enactus students Rosa, Pete and Sarah,with Gift Kamanisha, project manager

As always I was given a substantial amount of items to distribute, which included medical supplies, knitted items from District 6 Inner Wheel Clubs and football jerseys from York City Football Club, complete with 15 footballs donated by their CEO John McGhee. In addition we received 130 t-shirts impregnated with mosquito nets from New Textiles, Portugal. These are to be given to a remote community where there is a high prevalence of malaria and also to our Zambia volunteers. We are continuing our campaign to help the fight against malaria and to prevent further new cases in these rural villages.

New strips for ‘top of the league’ Mukuni United Football Club

Thank you to everyone for all your support – without you, none of this could have happened!

Jane Kaye-Bailey

Water in Zambia

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

No project is more essential than that to improve access to safe water in remote schools and communities. It is heart-breaking to see children drinking from bacteria-infested streams and rivers, especially when the rivers are teaming with crocodiles.

A third of Zambians do not have access to safe water, thousands of people walk several miles daily to fetch water, much of it unclean. Contaminated water is a leading cause of diarrhoeal disease in Zambia, Schistosomiasis, (also known as Balharzia) and Rotavirus are common and can be fatal in infants.

Water in Zambia – pupil from Kamwi Basic School

Annually, there are an estimated 10.5 million cases of diarrhoea, 63,000 hospitalisations and 15,000 deaths attributed to the disease in children under-five in Zambia. The Butterfly Tree’s aim is to source communities in Zambia desperately in need of bore holes and find schools with insufficient sanitation.

Bore hole and Indian Hand Pump – Muchambile Community School

Recently I visited Nampuyani School, in the Nyawe Chiefdom, where children were drinking unsafe water from shallow wells. During the rainy season, November to April, the pupils dug these wells to collect water for storage during the dry season. By May one of the two wells was already dry. These wells are being used by animals at night, further polluting the water. Thanks to a generous donation from Attraction Tickets Direct, through our partner Just a Drop, a bore hole and Indian hand pump will be installed this month.

Shallow well – Nampuyani School

Lack of sanitation is another huge issue, more than fifty per cent of Zambians do not have sanitation facilities. Schools can be closed down by the government if there are insufficient latrines, diarrhoeal diseases are common amongst pupils.

The Butterfly Tree has added eleven bore holes to schools throughout the Chiefdoms of Mukuni, Sikute, Musokotwane and Nyawe in the Southern Province of Zambia. Adding a bore hole not only gives the pupils access to safe drinking water, but also helps them to have sustainable feeding programmes. In addition we have constructed over forty latrines in schools, which has helped to reduce diarrhoeal diseases and absenteeism.

VIP Latrine – Kamwi School

Next month three volunteers from Enactus, a student-run company based at the University of Sheffield will volunteer for The Butterfly Tee. Their intention is to improve the water facility at Ng’andu Basic School and help to initiate a soap-making project as part of our Ecotourism plan, to create a sustainable enterprise for school leavers. Hanna Cohen and her two daughters from the US will also volunteer in July and have kindly raised funds for a bore hole.

Malaria Prevention

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

[PRESSWIRE] London, UK – 03.06.14 — The Butterfly Tree has been given a licence to import two safe new products to use in the prevention of malaria and other vector-borne diseases.

Globally malaria is the biggest killer of man. 75% of people who die from malaria are children under 5, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The products could potentially save the lives of thousands of children and also help to prevent Onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness, caused by the black fly. In areas of the Northern and Western Provinces one in ten people suffer from this condition and currently there are no preventative methods available in Zambia.

The Ministry of Health and the Malaria Control Centre in Zambia have welcomed the products. They have been tested by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK and the active ingredients used have been approved by the World Health Organisation.

Young boy with malaria – Simango Rural Health Centre

The Butterfly Tree is to be given licenses to import and distribute throughout Zambia. Besides using it for our humanitarian projects we are contacting all corporates operating in the nation as this could be hugely beneficial to the mining, agriculture and tourist industries.

Many productive hours are lost as a result of malaria. By selling it to corporates we will be able to create sustainability for our water, health, education and community projects in addition to extensively distributing the products to vulnerable communities.

The first product, MozziMort, is an insecticidal coating used on any hard surface that lasts for two years and could replace the normal method of insecticide spraying, which only lasts for six months.

The second product, MozziMort Larvicide granules, prevents mosquito larvae reaching adult stage: http://biotechinternational.co.uk/

Mosquitos breed in stagnant water – Siamasimbi Village

Notes to Editors

The Butterfly tree is a UK charity and NGO in Zambia, founded in 2006 by Jane Kaye-Bailey, to support rural communities decimated by the HIV pandemic in Zambia. The charity funds bore holes, health and education facilities, sustainable community projects and an orphan sponsorship programme. From its concept the charity’s philosophy is to ensure that all donor funds go directly into the grass roots projects – no personal fees or administration costs are deducted. All members both in the UK and Zambia are volunteers.

For more information contact:
jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk
+44 (0) 1926 843699

The Butterfly Tree: www.thebutterflytree.org.uk

May 2014 Newsletter

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

The Butterfly Tree has been given a licence to import two safe new malaria prevention products which could potentially save the lives of thousands of children in Zambia. The products Mozzimort and Larvamort, produced by Biotech International can not only help to prevent malaria but also river blindness (Onchocerciasis), also known as Robles disease, which is caused by a black fly. One in ten people suffer from this condition in the Northern and Western Provinces of Zambia and up until now there have been no preventative methods available.

This project dominated my three weeks in Zambia. With the assistance of Stain Musungaila, a local volunteer for The Butterfly Tree and his invaluable contacts, we presented the data to the Ministry of Health’s Enviormental Agency, the Food and Drugs Department and the Malaria Control Board. The products have been approved and we are being granted licencing for the importation, storage, transport and distribution, which will last for three years.

River blindness is prevelant where in areas of fast-flowing rivers

Sadly there has been a huge increase in the number of new cases of malaria in the region. Mukuni Chiefdom alone has reported over 200 new cases, in the past three years the number has been less than five. This has been caused by a number of factors – lack of insecticidal spraying, insufficient mosquito nets and prolonged heavy rains. Other clincis in the Kazungula District have reported a simular picture, which has created a great deal of concern. Our aim is to get these new products rolling before the onset of rains in November.

New case of malaria – young boy at Simango Rural Health Centre

With all the excitement created with the malaria prevention project I still had time to visit many other of our projects, most importantly that of water and sanitiation. Accompnied by James Baldwin and Peter Marsh, two civil engineers from our partners Just a Drop, we addressed the situation. To date we have installed some fifteen bore holes in rural schools and villages, but there are many more areas of need, one of those being Nampuyani where school children are drinking our of shallow wells shared by domestic animals. This causes diarrhoal disease, therefore we intend to add a bore hole and VIP latrines for the school.

Drinking water – pupils at Nampuyani Community School

During my stay I had the pleasure of meeting the Larsgard family from Norway, who have been supporting our orphan sponsorship program for the past five years. They came to Mukuni Village and were introduced to seven of the ten orphans they are sponsoring. As always the sponsor an orphan program plays a vital roll in our work to create sustainable futures for the communities. Some three hundred individual children are currently being sponsored and five students are partaking in further education. We are introducing a workshop to teach skills for those for are unable to seek employment.

Thore, Marie, Peter and Gro Larsgard – generous donors from Norway

On the 7th and 8th May William Anderson and twelve of his former school friends, celebrating their 50th birthday year, spent two days volunteering for The Butterfly Tree. They had raised funds to built four community houses for widows looking after orphans. In addition they played sport with the children and donated educational supplies and clothing. William, the creative Director of The Team Works mentored grade 12 pupils and schools leavers.

William Anderson and his volunteers from the UK, Zambia and Australia

As always it was both a rewarding and humbling experience visiting the many schools and villages we support. Once the new malaria prevention project takes off we aim to reach out to thousands more communites to prevent the dehabilitating malaria and Roble diseases.

Jane Kaye-Bailey

Founder

World Malaria Day 2014

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

According to the WHO global efforts to control and eliminate malaria have saved an estimated 3.3 million lives since 2000, reducing malaria mortality rates by 42% globally and 49% in Africa. Malaria remains the biggest killer of man with 75% of deaths occuring in children under the age of five in Africa.

Mosquito net distribution to rural clinics

This past rainy season has been relentless, which has caused a substantial increase in new cases of malaria, especially in the Mukuni Chiefdom. We are currently working with Biotech International who have created products including Mozzimort for malaria prevention. Our aim is to present these products to the Zambian Ministry of Health and the Malaria Control Centre to gain approval. In the meantime more mosquito nets are needed for children in remote villages. We are currently funding malaria prevention workshops within the communities.

Mosquito Distribution to Rural Clinics

I am about to leave for Zambia where we have some exciting projects underway. A new Special Education unit for Simango Primary School, expansions to Muchimbale and Chuunga Community Schools and a bore hole for Nampuyani Community School, funded by Attraction Tickets Direct through Just a Drop, who are sending two engineers to give advice on our water projects. I will also be welcoming William Anderson of Teamworks and ten colleagues who are funding and constructing four community houses. Cansaf, South Africa are shortly taking forty delegates to visit our pojects at Mukuni Village.

Mosquito Nets are vital for Malaria Prevention

All our projects are vitally important, none more so than malaria prevention. A mosquito net costs just £5 ($8) and could save a child’s life, you can make a donation on our website – no adminstration costs will be deducted.

Mothers in Zambia

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

In developing countries such as Zambia much of the responsibility of bringing up children is left to the mother. Sadly, as a result of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, there are far too many young widows left with no income. The Butterfly Tree provides housing and sustainable income-generating enterprises for such women.

Young Zambian mother and child

It is believed that if you educate a women she will educate the entire family. Certainly from my eight year experience of working with women in Zambia, they are ready to make the change. Traditionally, in villages like Mukuni, boys dropped out of school to become wood carvers and girls fell pregnant or were forced into early marriages. Times are changing and now both boys and girls are completing high school. Education is the key to overcoming poverty and disease.

The Butterfly Tree house for young widow and children

At the beginning of May further houses will be built for these young widows, thanks to fundraising efforts by William Anderson of Teamworks, who will be going out to Zambia with his colleagues to help with the construction of four new homes. To date we have donated over sixty houses to widows and orphans.

Help us to reach out to vulnerable women on Mother’s Day:

Order flowers through our partner Charity Flowers – 15% will be donated to the charity
Buy a CD and listen to the powerful voices of the Mukuni School Choir
Place a bid on Ebay for our ‘teddy bear’ auction

‘Teddy Bear’ Auction – knitted by an Inner Wheel Club member

Donate to any of the following projects:

WATER – FOOD – HEALTH – EDUCATION

Education in Rural Schools

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Jane Kaye-Bailey

2014 has brought hope for thousands of orphaned and vulnerable rural children in the Southern Province of Zambia. We are now reaching out to twenty six schools in four Chiefdoms, spanning a radius of 200 kilometres from our base at Mukuni Village. Over ten thousand children have access to advanced education and many more have access to improved water and health facilities.

River View Basic School – Sikute Chiefdom

The latest development is taking place at Muchimbale Community School, in the Nyawa Chiefdom, thanks to a generous donor. The school is very remote and has little support from the outside world. Last year The Butterfly Tree installed a bore hole and latrines, completed a teacher’s house and initiated a feeding programme. This year a further donation will enable us to restore an old classroom, purchase books and equipment and introduce a sustainable income-generating activity at the school.

Muchimbale Community School – Nyawe Chiefdom

Further progress can be seen at Katapazi Basic School with the opening of a special education unit, another one is currently being constructed at Simango Basic School in the Musokotwane Chiefdom, making four in total. Rural children in Zambia, with special needs, have no access to education. Chunga Community School classroom will shortly be completed and our aim is to also build a second classroom at Ndele Community School.

Mukuni Special Education Unit – funded by The Besom

We have forthcoming visits from a number of volunteers and philanthropists, who have helped us to grow. These include a group from Attraction Tickets Direct, a donor of our partner Just a Drop, who last year funded a bore hole and latrines. Besides international supporters we have engaged a number of local donors and fundraisers.

The ‘Mukuni Shining Stars’ choir, with the help of Emma Kennedy, one of our UK volunteers, has produced a CD to raise funds to educate orphans. The music is performed A Cappella, which showcases the tremendous talent of these young performers. Several of them are on our orphan sponsorship programme and the choir has performed at some of the renowned hotels around the Victoria Falls.

The Mukuni Shining Stars

The album can be purchased for just £7 – all proceeds will go directly to the cause. Please use this link to place your order and help raise funds for orphans.