Today I am leaving for Zambia to oversee on The Butterfly Tree projects, catch up with all the children on our orphan sponsorship program and source new projects. It an exciting time for the Mukuni Cheifdom; thanks to generous donations from W Charitable Foundation through Just a Drop and a family from the US we are putting in four bore holes this month. Three of them will be for the schools of Mukuni, Siamasimbi and Katapazi. In the past these schools have had to share a bore hole with the community reducing the flow of water particularly through the dry season. The fourth is at the village of Kafekwa, where the community have to get there water form crocodile infested rivers. October to March is the rainy season, the rivers will be rapidly flowing and millions of tons of water will be cascading over the Victoria Falls as the mighty Zambezi River fills up.

Woman at Kakekwa drawing water from a stagnant pool

As always there are so many more villages needing help. Next month we will be starting a new project to expand both the clinic and school at Katapazi, a remote village some two hours drive most of it through the bush, from Mukuni. We are being given substantial funding to build four pit-latrine toliets and a new classroom to enable the school to upgrade so that children to not have to walk great distances to obtain a higher grade. At the clinic we are adding a new ward, beds, solar power and a fridge. The community will be freely providing labour to assist with these projects. The clinic is solely run by a midwife who has trained community workers to help her, once these improvements are made the government will offer additional medical staff. There are 5000 people who have access to this rural clinic.

The Butterfly Tree feeding program at Kafekwa Village

Once this is complete we need to source funds for an under five’s feeding program; during my last visit I learnt that many babies were suffering from malnutrition, several of them were critical. For mothers who are HIV positive is is essential that we provide formula to replace breastfeeding. By educating the women at Mukuni an increasing number are coming forward to be tested, more babies can be saved and to date no more infants are suffering from malnutrition. 

The Butterfly Tree has partnered with Buy One Give Twice, the UK’s premier charity auction site. If you have any unwanted Christmas presents, having an annual Spring clean or want to donate event tickets or holiday accomodation to raise money for The Butterfly Tree contact us and we will sell them through this secure charity auction site.

When I go out to Zambia and visit Mukuni Village and see how little the people have I feel ashamed when I think about all the material things that I have in my home. I am ‘decluttering’, which is good for the mind and soul and The Butterfly Tree and local charity shops are benefitting. Now you can sell your unwanted items and raise money for The Butterfly Tree. All you have to do is donate the item to the charity, it will then be auctioned and the proceeds with help our projects at Mukuni.

Just a small amount could provide stationary or education for one of the many orphans. As little as £10 can buy 40 tablets of soap. Schools in Zambia receive very little government funding and rely on donations from charities and visitors. We provide edcuational material and sports equipment as well as classrooms, teacher’s houses and toilets. £400 can build a community house for a widow or an elderly person living in appalling conditions or £650 can provide a pit-latrine toilet for a school. £95 can sponsor a childs education for an entire year.

Pit-latrine toilets at Mukuni Village

Lack of hygiene is one of the major problems and infant diarrhoea is common in these remote villages. Having no access to clean, safe water and soap creates many health issues. We are raising funds for the Mukuni Cheifdom to provide more bore holes, improve the sanitation and provide basic hygiene education using workshops and edcuational DVDs.

“Informing you that I am a girl, aged 15 years and was born on the 18th April 1993. My father died when I was one year and six months old and my mother died when I was three years old. Am a person who likes going to school and I like playing netball, singing and dancing. I live in Zambia’s Southern Province in Mukuni Village. At Mukuni I live with my grandmother. At school I am doing grade nine and my hobby is singing gospel music.

Annastasia at Mukuni Basic School

When I was in grade six life was very miserable but since I came under The Butterfly Tree sponsorship life is now better. I wish to complete my education and be a better person in future. I like joking with people who encourage me about life and education. In November I will have my final examination. My hope is just based on education and I hope I will be fine at the end of the day.”

You can sponsor an orphan like Annastasia for £95 per annum.

“From the time you chose me to be one of the people to be sponsored I have really moved a step forward in my life. Since my father died on the 8th September of 2003, my life entirely depended on my cousin, who also has a family to look after. Now you pay an important role in my life such that I cannot think of my dead parents. I appreciate your support and hope that this will continue for the rest of my school life.”

 
Mukabalengu at Mukuni Basic School

Mukabalengu had TB in 2006 and is now fully recovered and enjoying life at Mukuni Basic School.

When I met Idrin Gani at Chise Village in the Mukuni Cheifdom last October she had a terrible limp and one leg was much thinner than the other. I enquired as to what was wrong with her leg and she lifted her skirt and showed me her thigh which was covered in sores. Seeking out her parents I learnt that from the age of two Idrin had developed a problem with her leg and had spent years having physiotherapy until her parents ran out of money. However she happily limped the three miles every day to Kamwi School to receive an education and is now eleven years old.

I sent her to Mukuni Health Centre to have the sores checked out; she had previously been the month before and given ointment which had no effect. The medical officer referred her to Livingstone hospital for an X-ray, where they discovered she had Osteomyelitis, an infection of bone or bone marrow. She was in a great deal of pain, put on a course of antibiotics and had to remain at Mukuni Health Centre until her fever had lessened. The outside temperature was 40 degrees, she and her mother had no money for food and were naturally very frightened; despite this whenever I visited Idrin she always had a smile on her face and never complained. She then had to live in Livingstone for several weeks to receive extensive physiotherapy before being sent to hospital in Lusaka.

Idrin with her mother at Mukuni Health Centre

Several months later having undergone an operation on her good leg to stop it growing longer than the other, Idrin is back in the village of Chise playing with her friends. She had been given a new pair of shoes one of which had to be raised. Had I not found Idrin and sent her to the clinic the infection would have been fatal. Even if she had gone to the clinic without my intervention her family would not have been able to pay for the lodgings, treatment and physiotherapy. The Butterfly Tree has paid for all her costs and the sympathetic doctor learning that she was a needy case performed the operation free of charge.