I would like to thank everyone for your cards, email, letters, flowers and offers of support since my husband, Lawrence, was tragically killed last month. The Butterfly Tree has received over £5000 in donations in his memory, which will go a long way to improving the lives of the vulnerable people in the Mukuni Chiefdom.

Besides funding the feeding program through our company, Cunninghams, Lawrence loved the ‘housing project’. Many elderly people and widows live in appalling conditions and to be able to provide a new home for someone living in poverty is a very humbling experience. Mukuni Village preserves its tribal traditions by building mud huts, however some of the population are living in open shelters leaving them exposed to the elements, mosquitos and snakes. During this rainy period they have no protection and during the winter months the temperautres at night can drop to zero.

A young disabled wood carver was living in this shelter, which has now been replaced thanks to a donation from donors in Ilkeston. If the homes are substantially built with a conctrete floor, like the ones provided by The Butterfly Tree, they can last for years, only the straw roof needs replacing regularly. It only costs £350 to provide a home for a needy person and can transform someone’s life.