Tomorrow I will be leaving for Zambia and I am looking forward to seeing just how much progress has been made since my last trip in September 2007. I recenty learnt from my NGO committee that this month the Ministry of Finance sent a delegation from Lusaka to visits our projects. Apparently they were extremely impressed and could not believe that so much had been achieved in just two years.

The water is now flowing freely in Mukuni Village after replacing the nine leaking tanks and pipework. There are seveteen pit-latrine toilets and a much better equipped health centre since our input. The HIV/AIDS program is underway and the additional malaria testings kits mean that more people can be tested and treated. We have built twenty houses for vulnerable people and set up three families in sustainable business ventures. Young children are healthier thanks to the feeding programs we are providing at both the clinic and Mukuni School.

Photo: Jane with pupils from the remote school in Siamasimbi Village

However more funds are needed. Although we are supporting three village schools, Siamasimbi a remote community, receives very little help from the outside world Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to JuggleFrogs most generous donation of a new website we now have supporters from Hawaii to Australia. Miranda de Freston of JuggleFrogs has devoted weeks of her time to develop the website and we feel very priviliged to not only having such an advanced site but also to having her on our team.

The website has had hits from seventeen States in the US this month and recently I received an email from a group of people from Colorada who visited Mukuni Village and wanted to help. After searching google they came across The Butterfly Tree and have kindly offered to sponsor twelve orphans.

We are now able to raise funds through everyclick which works like every other major search engine with the added bonus that every time you ‘click’ you can raise money for The Butterfly Tree. It doesn’t cost you anything and all you have to do is register your support - click here.

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One and a half million people have been affected by the recent floods in Zambia; several weeks of continuous rain have devastated many areas of the nation. On Friday of this week The Butterfly Tree is air-freighting huge amounts of medical supplies, blankets and clothing to help the victims. Cunninghams Epos Systems are providing the transport to Heathrow and MTEC Global are the shipping agent asssiting in the operation. Our appeal has received a great response from Zambians living in the UK who want support their fellow countrymen during this crisis.

Six thousand people have been displaced in the Southern Province and most of the crops have been destroyed. I shall shortly be flying to Zambia to assess the damage in the Kasungula District where we work.

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