I am delighted to announce that The Butterfly Tree is the nominated charity for Europe 2008 Travel Distribution Summit to be held on the 20-21 May at the Business Design Centre, London. Organised by Eye for Travel the summit is the world’s biggest event for marketing, pricing and technology experts.

Having spoken at last year’s World Travel Market I aim to get more people in the travel industry involved in corporate social responsibilty; sadly the industry is lagging behind.

The Butterfly Tree promotes responsible tourism and will be hosting a seminar at the event on 21st May at 11am:

Title - How to incorporate Philanthropic Travel and Responsible Tourism initiatives while substantially improving your overall business performance.

Travel companies can concretely benefit by improving the effectiveness of social responsibility. Supporting and promoting humanitarian and environmental causes, will enhance your reputation, add further appeal to your customers and attract better employees.

Speakers: 

• Jane Kaye-Bailey - Philanthropic Traveler & Founder of The Butterfly Tree
• Victoria Bolton - Charity Challenge - General Manager
• Guyonne James - Tourism Concern - Program Manager
• Mark Nall - Everyclick - Chief Executive

Photo: Providing safe water in third world tourist destinations

To learn more about the Travel Distribution Summit and the seminar contact: Jane Kaye-Bailey email - jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk or Simon Carkeek simon@eyefortravel.com

Although there are over 100 orphans being sponsored by The Butterfly Tree, many more orphan sponsorships are urgently need help. I was distressed to learn yesterday that out of 50 pupils who had past grade 9 to attend the new high school, only 20 had been able to afford to pay for the fees and uniform.

In October 2007 when I was driving through Livingstone, the teacher from Mukuni who was accompanying me, asked me to pull over after she spotted a pupil from her class. When she asked Victor Simango why he was not at school, he bowed his head and simply replied ‘I cannot’. I also questioned him and found that he had no father and a mother who could no longer afford to educate him. I asked him if he liked school and that if he got the chance of a sponsorship would be attend. The answer was yes to both questions.  I suggested he meet me at the Head Teacher’s office at 9am the following morning, he was early!

Sponsored orphan: Victor Simango

It is heartbreaking to see these Zambian children who’s education is the most important part of their life, having to drop out of school as one or both of their parents have died. Next week grade 9 pupils are due to sit their exams; twenty would have been unable to take them until The Butterfly Tree intervened; their grandparents or guardians could not find the £4.50 to pay for the examination fees.

Orphan sponsorships are £85 a year and will cover the cost of school and exam fees, books, uniform, shoes and school bag. Our aim is to get the older children back into school as quickly as possible so that they do not miss any more valuable lessons.

Please consider sponsoring an orphan and make a difference to someone’s life! More on: Orphan Sponsorship

The improvements in education made by The Butterfly Tree over the past two years at Mukuni Village is having a positive effect on the community.

With the addition of Mukuni high school, now in it’s second year, pupils are able to complete grades ten to twelve of their education with a far better prospect of finding employment and with the boom in the Zambian tourist industry more positions will be available to school leavers.

Photo: Pupils have made these bricks for the high school science laboratory

The addition of Mukuni pre-school totally funded by The Butterfly Tree now has 198 children attending three classes throughout the day. With very little entertainment in these remote villages young children can learn to read and write and speak English at a much earlier age. Read the rest of this entry »

I have just returned from an eventful trip to Zambia, which included meeting Vice-President Rupiah Banda during his visit to survey the areas devastated by the recent floods.

Chief Mukuni invited me to attend the meeting when the Vice-President came to Mukuni Village. The Chief explained The Butterfly Tree’s involvement in his Chiefdom and I was given the opportunity to voice my disappointment in Zambian customs failure to release our shipment to assist the flood victims. Mr. Banda told me that it would be looked into by his office.

I personally visited the areas around Maramba, where many people had been displaced during the torrential rains from the Zambia Floods that caused such destruction. I met a new born baby living in one of the tents provided by Shelter Box and learnt of the shortages of food amongst the people. Much of the nation’s maize crops have been destroyed during the peak growing season with a famine predicted in many areas. Read the rest of this entry »