Since the 1st April, the start of The Butterfly Tree’s financial year I have been overwhelmed by the support we are receiving. Existing and new donors are helping us to reach out to more remote communities and to help girls and vulnerable young people.
MABWA – NYAWA CHIEFDOM
World Mental Health Day was on the 10th October. The world we live in today increases the risk of mental health issues which have a negative effect on our daily lives. Social media, 24-hour news, global warming, natural disasters, disease, and conflict to name just some the many problems people face globally.
We are delighted to receive a donation from our Canadian partner, Give a Hand, to initiate a project to empower young people with mental and physical disabilities and those who were born with HIV. Sixty young people from Mukuni, N’gandu and Kamwi villages will be given the opportunity to raise chickens, and to grow crops and vegetables to create a sustainable income-generating cooperative. This is a rare opportunity as there is very little on offer to help people with disabilities in Zambia.
GROWING CROPS FOR SUSTAINABLE INCOME
A new health post is currently being constructed thanks to a further grant from the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission. The location at Mabwa, a remote area in Nyawa – the facility includes a clinic, two staff houses, a biodigester, toilets, a borehole and equipment. A shelter is to be constructed at Simonga health post donated by Blooms the Chemist, Australia who offer ongoing support for Simonga, Bunsanga and Mambova clinics.
SIMONGA RURAL HEALTH POST
A generous donation from The Murphy Family Foundation is being used to expand Musokotwane and River View Secondary Schools. Each school will have an additonal 1×3 classroom block and desks, with the former receiving computers and connection to power. A classroom block at Katubuya Community School will shortly be completed and funding is in place to build an entire new school.
MUSOKOTWANE SECONDARY SCHOOL
As always there is a great need to provide safe drinking water in remote schools and villages. A substantial donation from Nick Bousliman for water and food projects will help thousands of vulnerable people. Creating sustainable feeding programmes in schools and helping people to grow crops, other than maize, that are less dependent on rain is a priority is essential.
BOREHOLE DRILLING – NGANDU SCHOOL
Teenage pregnancies and early marriages prevent girls from completing their education. With the support of the Blackpool Cup and the Society of the Sacred Heart we are travelling to remote areas to conduct workshops on HIV prevention, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and drug and alcohol abuse. We invite pupils, teachers, traditional and civic leaders and medical staff.
GIRLS’ UNDER SEVENTEEN FOOTBALL
We are more forming girls’ football teams to give girls an activity and to empower them. To date there are 15 teams. This is what one deputy head teacher told us ‘Since the inception of girls soccer, we have noticed a trend for girls playing soccer avoid casual sex and a big reduction in teenage pregnancy and dropouts due to early marriage. Before the inception we lost 14 girls from grade 8 last year but we haven’t recorded any this year among players.’
Thank you to everyone for your overwhelming support.
On behalf of The Butterfly Tree I am delighted to present our Annual Report and Accounts for 2022-23. Please click on the link below to view or download the full report, the accounts, images and graphs.
In May 2022 I was able to return to Zambia for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Our local team who I had not seen for over two years greeted me with open arms. It was wonderful to back to spend time with them and to visit the many projects The Butterfly Tree has initiated in the past couple of years. I also visited in March 2023 when I was invited to meet Chief Nyawa, who is the traditional leader of the biggest Chiefdom in the Kazungula District with over four hundred villages. He was overwhelmed by the number of projects we have implemented and most appreciative of the support the charity has shown to his people. He actually asked me why I do it! I do it out of compassion for orphans and children who are born into extreme poverty, to give them hope.
The Butterfly Tree won two more awards: ‘Best Education Charity of the Year’ – Scotland Prestige Awardsand ‘HIV Support Non-Profit Organisation of the Year’ – Central England Prestige Awards
We continue to received substantial donations to support our orphan sponsorship programme and education projects. In addition to pupils being sponsored at Mukuni, Kamwi, Ngandu, Ndele, River View, Lumbo, Senkobo and Kazungula Boarding School, we have added Musokotwane to the list. Orphans can be found in every village living with elderly grandparents who do not have a source of income. The programme has helped hundreds of children to complete high school and beyond. Six students who completed school after being on The Butterfly Tree’s orphan sponsorship programme are currently attending university reading the following courses: microbiology, engineering, teaching, journalism, and two are learning accountancy. A third student is studying to be an accountant at college and two are enrolled at a nursing college. In addition, eleven students are learning skills at colleges in Livingstone. These include forward and clearing, catering, building, carpentry, and plumbing.
Throughout the year schools received donations of textbooks and desks. Three special education classes at Mukuni, Katapazi and Simonga shared a donation of educational materials. Our trained peer educators conducted workshops to talk to school children of all ages about the dangers of HIV, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and alcohol and drug abuse.
After the completion of Katondo Health Post, which is now in full operation we received further grant aid to build a health post at Boombwe, a remote area in Musokotwane. The project included a clinic, two staff houses, toilets, a borehole, a biodigester, and medical equipment. Once it is fully operational people will no longer have to walk long distances to seek medical attention. Simonga, Mambova and Bunsanga health posts received monthly donations of medical supplies and 1,150 mosquito nets were distributed to help the global fight against malaria. These were given to teachers and school children in areas where malaria is most prevalent.
The builders that we sponsored are gaining more experience. They constructed a 1×2 classroom block at Mubuyu community school and two teacher’s houses at Musokotwane secondary school. They started another 1×2 classroom block at Malombe community school to replace the mud and pole construction, which was their main classroom. A further classroom block was built at Mukuni Primary School, and one other classroom and the special education class also at Mukuni underwent restoration work.
The most challenging of our projects is to provide safe drinking water. After receiving a substantial donation, we successfully drilled boreholes at Katubya, Malombe and N’gandu schools, the latter received a full water reticulation system to create a sustainable school garden as well as providing drinking water. A water system was also installed at Boombwe health post. Sadly, we could not find water at one school, after three attempts. This is costly and disappointing for the pupils and teachers, but when a drill is successful it is one of the most exhilarating sights as I have ever seen. The joy and jubilation for a community to have fresh water for the first time is so rewarding. In addition to improving health, it saves hours of time collecting water from polluted streams and rivers. More boreholes are to be drilled in the coming months.
During my visit to Zambia in May last year I was joined by a volunteer from Costa Rica. Jonathan, an eco-tourism consultant, first volunteered for the charity in 2013. This time he came to initiate the Mukuni Village Tours. Mukuni with its close proximity to the mighty Victoria Falls is a popular tourist destination. Tour operators charge between $50 – $120 for just a two-hour visit. After selecting school leavers from our orphan sponsorship programme Jonathan spent a month training them to become guides to take visitors on a tour of Mukuni Village and also the Victoria Falls. The aim is for them to have a sustainable enterprise, which is being offered on Airbnb Experiences and Trip Advisor.
As tourism picks up after the pandemic more volunteers and visitors are expected. To help safeguard the children and communities where we work all volunteers must have a DBS certificate or the equivalent in their country. They are accompanied by one of The Butterfly Tree NGO team, a teacher or medical worker. Participating as a volunteer can be a life-changing experience – four of our UK team joined the charity after volunteering in Mukuni.
The women’s projects are progressing well. Honey production, mango produce, chicken rearing and vegetable growing are providing communities with an income. The one in Sekute is so successful that the women donate some of their profits to the elderly, disabled and widows. This coming year we aim to initiate a project for young people with physical and mental challenges and those living with HIV. Rarely do they get an opportunity to earn an income.
Eleven community houses were built for orphans, widows, and the elderly. The most vulnerable are helped and in the case of orphans the homes are shared with their siblings.
In addition to raising awareness of the dangers of HIV, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, alcohol and drug abuse through our peer education programme we encourage young people to get involved with sport. After the success of the boys’ football tournaments, we have encouraged girls to form teams – tournaments took place during the Christmas period at Singwamba and Mukuni. Since forming these teams all the girls in the Mukuni team passed grade 7 and 9 examinations.
A special thanks to my fellow trustees Ann, Jackie and Anthony, who provide support behind the scenes in accounting, safeguarding and fundraising. We were delighted to welcome Anthony O’Neill to the Board in October 2022, who has been a keen supporter of the charity for several years. Many thanks to volunteers David, Carolyn, Leah, Valerie and Steven for giving up their free time to help with IT, fundraising, youth projects, and child protection and safeguarding. Thanks also to Frank Maiola, our US representative. Much of our success is owed to our incredible team of Trustees in Zambia. They work tirelessly to initiate, manage and monitor all our projects. Mupotola Siloka (secretary/project management), Rev. Presley Mulenga (education), Martin Mushabati (community projects/sport) and Stain Musungaila (malaria prevention and community projects). Each of them has volunteered for the charity prior to and since the registration of the NGO in 2007. Also, thanks to our Zambian volunteers who manage a variety of programmes. Natasha Mufeya, (orphan sponsorship/peer education/girls’ empowerment), Mafian Sitali (orphan sponsorship) and Lloyd Kasala (community projects, Nyawa). All our members both in the UK and Zambia are volunteers and are committed to helping young people to change their lives for the better.
More schools are being developed or expanded, and orphans that have been supported by The Butterfly Tree from an early age have gained employment. Following guidelines from the United Nation Development Goals we are making positive and sustainable change in health and education.
EDUCATION – Two community schools, Malombe and Katubya in the Kazungula District, had only mud and pole constructions. Neither had access to safe water. Malombe now has a 1×2 classroom block and a borehole. The construction was built by two skilled builders who was sponsored by the charity. A borehole was recently installed at Katubya and construction of a 1×3 classroom block has commenced.
Two secondary schools, River View and Musokotwane, developed by the charity are to receive additional support. River View now has in excess of 1,700 pupils from early learning to grade 12. Thanks to a substantial donation from The Murphy Family Foundation we are about to construct two 1×3 classroom blocks for the secondary section of both schools.
SCIENCE LABORATORY – MUSOKOTWANE SECONDARY SCHOOL
Each school will also be given 75 desks. In addition Musokotwane’s donation will enable the school to have electricity throughout the facility, and computers for their IT section.
ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP – More young people under sponsorship have recently completed skill courses. The courses included hotel management, catering, forward and clearing, and building. One of the young men on the building course was awarded ‘student of the year.’ We are grateful to the Mukuni Village Trust (Australia), along with so many individual donors who continue to sponsor children and youths who have lost one or both parents.
SPONSORED CHILDREN – N’GANDU JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
During a recent recruitment by the Zambian army eight young people who were sponsored by The Butterfly Tree have been enrolled. This is quite rare for an orphan or vulnerable young person from a rural village to be selected and we congratulate them on their achievement.
The special education class at Mukuni had a treat when a donor offered to fund a party for them. A cake, sodas and biscuits were given out and the children danced to music. There are 27 children in the class, and each has been given a school jersey from another donor.
SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASS – MUKUNI PRIMARY
HEALTH – The new health post site for Mabwa has been chosen by the Ministry of Health who will run the facility once completed. A borehole is being drilled on Wednesday, this will be followed by the construction of a clinic, two staff houses, toilets and Biodigester for waste disposal. The project is being funded by further grant aid from the Overseas Aid and Development Commission of Guernsey.
MALARIA – We are delighted to learn that our contribution to the fight against malaria in Zambia is producing significant results. Livingstone is the capitol of tourism. The City Council Chairman last week announced that our safe interventions have resulted in the area being virtually malaria-free. He added that no other organisation’s interventions have been as effective as that of The Butterfly Tree’s. Using larvicide, a safe product that prevents larva developing into mosquito, the mosquito population has reduced significantly in Livingstone and surrounding areas. This is good news for the local people and for tourism!
ZAMBEZI RIVER FLOWS OVER THE VICTORIA FALLS NEAR LIVINGSTONE
Our sincere thanks to all our donors and sponsors who continue to support these worthwhile projects, helping to improve basic essentials for the lives of orphans and vulnerable people in Zambia.
The Butterfly Tree continues to make considerable progress in providing improved water, health and education facilities in Zambia. It is hard to believe that in 2023 people are still walking 10 miles to fetch drinking water and as many as 50 miles to seek medical care.
MORE THAN 6 MILLION PEOPLE IN ZAMBIA DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER
HEALTH – The fully equipped health post at Boombwe, in Musokotwane Chiefdom is now complete. Due to the remoteness and poor access, the drilling companies would not venture to this area. To overcome the issue we repaired the borehole at Boombwe school, installed a solar-powered water reticulation system with a submersible pump. After linking it to the health post, both facilities now have access to clean water. Below is a testimonial from the Senior Headman:
‘On behalf of the community, we would like to thank The Butterfly Tree. For Boombwe this donation is like a dream as we have been without such a facility for many years and had to walk long distances to seek medical care, for some it was 60km. This resulted in relatives losing loved ones and women giving birth along the way before they could reach a clinic. As a community we are very happy for what The Butterfly Tree has donated. All the problems we had, have now been solved.’
TWO STAFF HOUSES – BOOMBWE RURAL HEALTH POST
Sadly, the mortality rate of mother and child is still alarmingly high in rural areas. The new clinic will include a maternity section for women to safely deliver their babies as opposed to home births. We are delighted to have been awarded further grant aid for 2023 from the Overseas Aid and Development Commission of Guernsey. This is to build a health facility at Mabwa in Nyawa Chiefdom. The development, like the one at Boombwe, will include a clinic, two staff houses, a biodigester for waste disposal, toilets, and a water system.
MALARIA – Mosquito nets will also be given to school children at Boombwe and neighbouring schools, to protect them against malaria. A recent donation from the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs will pay for five hundred mosquito nets.
MOSQUITO NETS PROVIDING PROTECTION AGAINST MALARIA
VOLUNTEERS – We are pleased to welcome international visitors back to see our projects in Zambia after their absence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two UK doctors who raise money, through Make a Medic a charity they initiated to provide medical students with educational resources volunteered in N’gandu. They spent a week working with our peer educators on HIV prevention and teenage pregnancies at the school. Through their organisation they gave a generous donation to build four homes for orphans, for the workshops, and for Maths textbooks.
The following week a group of American University students spent time at Mukuni, teaching pupils at the primary school. They kindly donated educational supplies, and bags of ground maize for the elderly.
UK DOCTORS WORKING WITH OUR PEER EDUCATORS
EDUCATION – A new 1×2 classroom block is currently under construction at Malombe community school where we recently installed a borehole. Next month we will be adding a borehole and 1×3 classroom block for a school a community school at Katabuya. Pupils are being taught in mud and pole structures. Their drinking water comes from shallow wells as the nearest water source is 10km from the school.
DRINKING WATER SOURCE – KATABUYA COMMUNITY SCHOOL
ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP – We are extending our orphan sponsorship programme to help more children, who have lost one or both parents or who are vulnerable. Managed by Natasha, a former sponsored orphan, children from the following schools are being supported: Mukuni, N’gandu, Kamwi, Ndele, River View, Lumbo, Senkobo and Musokotwane.
Six students have recently completed skilled-based courses, five students are enrolled at university and four are attending college. Their courses include pharmacy, accountancy, engineering, teaching, journalism and nursing.
SPONSORED ORPHANS – SENKOBO SCHOOL
The special education class at Mukuni had a rare treat last week thanks to a donor offering to fund a party. A cake, snacks and drinks were shared with everyone, the music was playing and all of the children enjoyed dancing. The Butterfly Tree built a classroom to accommodate children with special needs in 2008, and has continued to support this vital facility with help from St James’s Place Foundation. Prior to this most children remained at home.
SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASS – MUKUNI PRIMARY SCHOOL
Thank you to everyone who voted for the WAFA awards, the entire procedure was complicated and lengthy and many said they had difficulty voting – we apologise for any inconvenience. We did not win the food category. However, much to our surprise we have won an Aquisition International Non-Profit Award, which was chosen by a panel of experts instead of having to reply on a voting system. The Butterfly Tree voted – ‘Best Africa Focused Clean Water & Sanitation Provider 2023’ – UK
We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award and would like to thank all our donors who have supported our water and sanitation awards in Zambia since 2006. Not forgetting to thank supporters of our health, education and community projects, and most especially our orphan support programme. All of you have helped us to gain significant recognition for our work in Zambia, but more importantly our projects have improved the lives of thousands of orphans and vulnerable people.
It is over five weeks since I returned from Zambia, so much more is happening that it looks as if we are in for another good year. I am overwhelmed by the offer of further support from existing and new donors, and delighted to report that The Butterfly Tree has won another award: The London & South East England Prestige Awards – ‘Youth Education Non-profit Organisation of the Year.’
In addition to this we have been selected as a finalist for the WATER AIR AND FOOD AWARDS in Denmark. The winner will receive a monetary prize, however we need to gather votes. We would be grateful if you could vote for us in the ‘FOOD‘ category by using this link: https://www.wafaward.org/vote/
After opening the link you will see ‘Voting is open‘ and underneath ‘Click here to register your Vote!’ You need to enter your email or mobile number and register, after which you will be able to vote for The Butterfly Tree! The request for your email or phone number is simply to prove you are a genuine voter.
The link below is a video of the project we submitted, produced and narrated by WAFA organisation:
Since writing April’s newsletter more progress has been made. A borehole at N’gandu Junior Secondary School in Mukuni Chiefdom was drilled though we had to drill to 140 meters to find water! This will provide 560 pupils with easy access to safe drinking water and for their vegetable gardens. This week one will be drilled at Malombe Primary School, where we have just started work on a 1×2 classroom block. Two further boreholes will follow.
DRILLING FOR WATER – N’GANDU SCHOOL
During my visit to Zambia I was joined by the Murphy Family who has generously donated to the charity for several years. It was wonderful to be able to show them the projects they have funded at River View and Musokotwane Secondary Schools. The pupils, teachers and community, most especially at Musokotwane, gave them a memorable welcome. The family has kindly offered further support for the two schools. These advanced education facilities cater for over 2,000 pupils.
MUSOKOTWANE ROYAL DANCERS
At the end of April, two of our Zambian NGO trustees were invited to visit the Blackpool Cup, an International Youth Football Tournament, for which The Butterfly Tree was selected as an official charity partner. Mupotola and Martin attended matches, presented trophies and gave interviews. They were taken to see the local sites, a tour of Liverpool Stadium and to watch a match between Blackburn and Luton, by one of our donors, Pepe’s Zambia-Football Foundation. The Blackpool Cup organisers asked teams if they would donate unwanted kit for school teams in Zambia, and all the footballs used at the tournament were donated to the charity.
BLACKPOOL INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
A new health post, including a clinic, two staff houses, three toilets and a biodigester for waste, will be completed next week, thanks to a substantial grant from the Overseas Aid and Development Commission, Guernsey. The communities in Boombwe, a remote area of Mosokotwane, do not have access to a medical facility during the rainy season. The clinic will be used for general practice, antenatal and post natal, births, and for treament and prevention of HIV, and malaria. Funds for medical equipment and furniture are included in the grant, and The Butterfly Tree has added a solar-powered water reticulation system with a water storage tank.
NEW HEALTH POST – BOOMBWE
As you can see we have a made a promising start to our new financial year. As always we are extremely grateful to all our donors, volunteers and fundraisers for their tremendous support.
On Tuesday I returned to the UK after spending three weeks in Zambia checking on our many projects and sourcing new ones. I find it hard to believe it is now over seventeen years since I first visited Mukuni Village. Starting with an orphan sponsorship programme The Butterfly Tree branches have grown significantly. We have projects throughout the Kazungula District as well as Livingstone and Zimba Districts.
SPONSORED ORPHANS – N’GANDU JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
Today we are building entire schools, health posts and community houses. We install boreholes and water reticulation systems, and sanitation for remote schools and communities. We provide support for HIV prevention and Girls’ Empowerment, and initiate sustainable income-generating enterprises for women and youths. We help the global fight against malaria.
NEW BOREHOLE – JAMES SIATCHEMA PRIMARY SCHOOL, NYAWA
None of this could have been achieved without the generous support of our donors, some have been donating since 2006. The money we raise comes from grant aid, trusts, individuals, corporate, schools, clubs and other organisations. Every donation we receive, whether it be big or small counts, and helps to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable children on the planet.
SIMONGA MATERNITY WARD – LIVINGSTONE DISTRICT
We have a wonderful team of volunteers both in the UK and Zambia who are committed to our grass root cause and have been paramount in the charity’s success. Working alongside our Zambian team gives me an incite into how much time is needed to initiate, manage and monitor the projects on the ground. I drove over 1,200 km while in Zambia to visits schools, communities and health posts. To access these remote areas, the tracks are often hazardous, during the rainy season – some become impassable.
CROSSING THE NGWEZI RIVER ON ROUTE TO NYAWA
These journeys give me the opportunity to meet pupils, teachers, and medical staff and to engage with the local communities. I see first hand the need but always ask the people what is required rather than telling the people what they should have. The difference a school borehole or classroom can make is remarkable. The difference a rural health post makes can be life-saving. Below are some of the main objectives we achieved during the past year.
PROJECTS FROM MARCH 31ST 2022 TO 1ST APRIL 2023
Health Post – Katondo including a clinic, two teacher’s houses, borehole and toilets
Health Post – Boombwe including a clinic, two teacher’s houses, borehole and toilets
Completion of classrooms – Mukuni, Kamwi and Sichifulo schools
Two teacher’s houses – Musokotwane Secondary School
Restoration of a primary school classroom and one for special education – Mukuni
Boreholes – Mambwa, James Siachema, Simukombo and Ngandu schools. Namyola and Hamoomba communities
Sustainable community project for women in Sekute
Donation of seeds and fertilizer – 50 schools in the Kazungula District
Distribution of ground maize to 2,500 households in four Chiefdoms
Distribution of mosquito nets to schools in Sekute and Nyawa
Donation of textbooks, materials, and desks – primary, special education and secondary schools
Donation of medical supplies – Simango, Mambova, Bunsanga and Mukuni clinics.
Sponsorship for orphans at seven schools, and for university and college students.
Sports sponsorship and football tournaments – selected charity for the Blackpool Cup
AWARDS2022-23
Scotland Prestige Awards ‘Education Charity of the Year‘ –winner.
Central England PrestigeAwards ‘HIV Support NPO of the Year’ – winner.
WAFA AWARDS shortlisted for the ‘FOOD’ Category – winner to be announced.
The Butterfly Tree has grown considerably since the founding. Consequently we have recently converted the charity from a trust to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation as recommended by the Charity Commission, and a criteria for some grant funding applications. ‘A CIO has its own legal identity, and is liable for its own debts as opposed to a trust, which holds assets for its beneficiaries.’ The CIO will give donors more security.
The Butterfly Tree will not change its aims or the way we operate. The same trustees and volunteers will continue to raise funds and awareness to help those most in need and as always no salaries, office rent nor personal fees will be deducted from donations. The new charity number is 1202390 and can be seen on theCharity Commission’s website, as it is newly registered there is no financial history listed. However, all the financial records for The Butterfly Tree trust can still be viewed on the Charity Commission website, using this link 1118084.
Our Annual Report and Accountsfor 2022-23, which will shortly be audited, and will be available to view in the next couple of months.
Many thanks to all our global donors, fundraisers, trustees and volunteers, both in the UK and Zambia, for making this another outstanding year for The Butterfly Tree, and most importantly for its beneficiaries.
The Theme for International Women’s Day 2023 – ‘Embrace Equity.’
Today we are celebrating all the girls who have been sponsored by The Butterfly Tree and rose to the challenge. Hundreds of young women have completed high school education and college, many have sought employment. One of them is a volunteer for the charity and manages our orphan sponsorship and girls’ empowerment programmes.
Natasha manages The Butterfly Tree Orphan Sponsorship Programme
There are 1.2 million orphans in Zambia. Since 2006 The Butterfly Tree has sponsored orphaned and vulnerable boys and girls from rural villages in the Kazungula District. Girls traditionally marry at a young age and have children in their teens. Those living in extreme poverty can easily fall pregnant through lack of knowledge or be enticed into early marriages, putting them at risk of contracting HIV. Educating girls can help to prevent this from happening.
HIV PREVENTION WORKSHOP – NGANDU SCHOOL
Our orphan support programmes give girls an opportunity to be educated, to have choices and to learn about girl empowerment. Training peer educators is the best way to educate girls about the dangers of HIV, teenage pregnancies, and drug and alcohol abuse. We have role models who have completed high school and giving back to their communities.
GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOP – SENKOBO SCHOOL
After completing high school girls have gone to university or college studying a variety of subjects, including teaching, business and hotel management, catering, nursing, and journalism. Situated close to Livingstone, the capital of tourism, and the Victoria Falls young women from the rural areas have been able to engage in employment in hotels, businesses, and at the border.
PRECIOUS HAS A CAREER IN FORWARD AND CLEARING
As we celebrate this day The Butterfly Tree aims to support more vulnerable girls from remote villages who would not normally have an opportunity to complete their education. With our support their lives can change for the better.
As the rainy season in Zambia continues crops are growing and boreholes, rivers and streams are filling up. However, during this period some rural schools, clinics and villages become inacessible as tracks become flooded. This is why The Butterfly Tree continues to source remote areas in need of health and education facilities. The following feedback, received this weekend, from a nurse at Katondo health post, confirms how vital these projects are:
‘An elderly woman had collapsed with BP. In the past she would have been taken to Kauwe Health Centre a distance of 15km, but with the rains the roads are currently impassable. She was treated in Katondo and went home the following morning. The next day an expectant mother was in an emergency situation, nurses safely delivered the baby at the facility.’ These rural health posts are vital – this mother and elderly women would not have been unable to travel to Kauwe Health Centre due to the rains.
KATONDO HEALTH POST COMPLETED IN 2022
Thanks to the tremendous support from the Overseas Aid and Development Commission in Guernsey we have developed health posts at Sikaunzwe, Bunsanga and Katondo with one currently under construction at Boombwe. We have also built health posts at Mahalulu and Mambova and added maternity wards and mother’s shelters in ten other areas. With readily available access to medical care in the West it is diffilcult to comprehend the need for improved healthcare in countries like Zambia.
SIMONGA MATERNITY WARD
This month we were delighted to receive a substantial donation from one of our private donors to build more classrooms. We are still finding mud and pole schools built by the community, in the Kazungula District, and though it is better than having no school the buildings are totally inadequate especially when it is raining. The pictures below show Bunsanga before and after our support, it can now take pupils from grade one to seven. We aim to develop three more schools this year.
OLD COMMUNITY SCHOOL – BUNSANGABUNSANGA PRIMARY SCHOOL – GRADES 1 TO 7
Education is the key to overcoming poverty and its related issues. Following the United Nations Development Goal 4 – ‘Quality Education’thousands of children in rural areas are in education. We were delighted to learn that out of eleven pupils on sponsorship at Mukuni High School, ten have gained their final certificates. More orphans from Mukuni, Ng’andu, Kamwi and Senkobo have joined the orphan sponsorship programme this year, having recently lost one or both parents.
SPONSORED ORPHANS – NG’ANDU JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
Further support has been received from the Blackpool Cup organisers after selecting The Butterfly Tree as their charity partner for 2023. Two of our trustees from The Butterfly Tree, Zambia have been invited to the Blackpool Cup, an International Youth Football Tournament. The organisers will host and accommodate the trustees, and footballs from the event will be donated to the charity. Teams are are also being asked to donate football strips for our youth football teams in Zambia.
ONE OF FOUR FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTS SPONSORED BY THE BLACKPOOL CUP
The Butterfly Tree has been shortlisted for the Water Air Food Awards in Denmark. Our comprehensive application was on Food Security and how we provided emergency relief for thousands of children and communities, suffering from severe hunger and famine, during the 2019-20 drought. We need votes and would be grateful if you would consider voting for our initiative, which will shortly be published on the WAFA Award website.
The new school year in Zambia is now underway. I am pleased to report that most pupils on our orphan sponsorship programme have passed their grade 7 and 9 exams, with some gaining very good results. A further six pupils from Mukuni and three from River View completed high school in December. Their grade 12 results will be announced next month. Eight students are currently attending universities and college, while those who took skills courses last year, are doing work experience. The Murphy Family Foundation and the Mukuni Village Trust, Australia, have given considerable support to help orphans and vulnerable youths.
CHUUMA GAINED EXCELLENT GRADE 9 RESULTS
Thanks to a substantial donation from Nick Bousliman fifty rural schools received bags of seeds and fertilizer for their school gardens, to create sustainable feeding programmes. This generous donation also included 2,000 bags of ground maize for the elderly and vulnerable families, and five boreholes. In addition to this, donations from our successful Christmas Appeal enabled us to distribute more bags of ground maize in Mukuni, Sekute, Musokotwane and Nyawa. One grateful beneficiary from Nyawa sent the following message to The Butterfly Tree.
‘Food is scarce to us elderly especially at this time of year. I am a diabetic and having no food is a danger. Last week I collapsed and a good Samaritan took me to hospital where they put me on a drip of glucose. I didn’t have any food since the morning. Now that I have this bag of maize I will be moving with a bowl of nsima and eat whenever I feel weak. Thank you Butterfly Tree for saving lives.’
FOOD DISTRIBUTION – NYAWAFOOD DISTRIBUTION – N’GANDU
The second phase of the new health post at Boombwe is underway. The development, funded by the Overseas Aid and Development Commission, Guernsey, includes a clinic, two staff houses, toilets and biodigester. Mosquito nets were donated to Boombwe school children as there is a high prevalence of malaria. Blooms the Pharmacy, Australia continue to provide medical supplies for Bunsanga, Simonga and Mambova health posts.
MONTHLY DONATION OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
The three women’s projects in partnership with Give a Hand, Canada are going well. Muyunda women are busy collecting honey from wild bees to earn an income by selling honey and beeswax. The Musokotwane ‘Mangoes of Hope’ women sold all the jam they made during the mango season and will again grow tomatoes until the next season. The ‘Hope for a Better Future’, which includes rearing chicken and growing vegetables for women in Sekute, is doing exceptionally well. The women have sought good markets for the chicken and vegetables’ sales, which are proving to be highly lucrative.
VEGETABLE GROWING – SEKUTE
During the Christmas holidays three football tournaments took place for U-17 girls in Mukuni, Senkobo and Nyawa, and one for U-17 boys in Mukuni. The aim is to help prevent HIV, early pregnancies, alcohol and drug abuse by encouraging youths to engage in sport. All participants must attend The Butterfly Tree HIV prevention workshops. This was sponsored by Blackpool Cup who have chosen The Butterfly Tree as their charity partner for their 2023 tournament.
MUKUNI UNDER-SEVENTEEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT WINNERS
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.
