One billion people throughout the world suffer from hunger, a figure which has increased by 100 million because of the global financial crisis, says the United Nations. We are all complaining about the effect the world reccession is having upon us, but do we give a thought as to how badly people are affected in the developing countries. Lower incomes, unemployment, reduced foreign investment increase in food prices have attributed to a record number of people suffering from hunger and yet in the developed world relatively few are affected.

Zambia is in Sub-Sahara Africa where 265 million people are hungry, many relying on food aid. In the past twelve months The Butterfly Tree has provided bore holes to four schools and two villages in Mukuni now we need to use that water to develop agriculture and for the communities to grow food so that they can become sustainable. I hear sad stories of African children unable to walk the long distance to school due to lack of food, pupils who are lethargic in class and have actually seen a number of them fall asleep over their desks. I recently met a mother with twins who had walked three miles to the clinic, the infants were suffering from malnutrition, she hadn’t eaten for twenty-four hours having no money to buy a bag of ground maize. They are now receiving aid through our under fives feeding program.

Food for Mukuni – mother & twins no longer suffering from hunger

More feeding programs are needed until these communities can become sustainable, a difficult task with ever increasing costs, floods and elephants destroying crops. The Butterfly Tree is currently providing a feeding program, sponsored by Cunninghams, for over 500 vulnerable and orphaned children at Mukuni Basic School. We have just commenced a second program at Siamasimbi Basic School. Each day the pupils are given a nutritional meal of Nshima (ground maize), meat or dried fish (kapenta) and vegetables.

Feeding programs like this one at Mukuni needed for more schools

We are seeking micro-financing so that groups of widows, schools and communities can grow crops, produce goats and chickens for meat and eggs, fish farming and fruit trees.

Although The Butterfly Tree is making great progress with a number of projects in the Mukuni Chiefdom, more HIV funding is needed. HIV and AIDS in Zambia is pandemic, one in six adults are living with HIV. Every person has been infected or is effected by this devastating disease. The government has a number of initiatives but not enough HIV funding is getting through to the remote villages.

The Butterfly Tree provides funds for an under fives’ feeding program, the first to be initiated in Zambia. We provide formula to replace breast milk in mothers who are HIV positive, preventing mother to child transmission and this has also encouraged more women to come forward to be tested. Unfortunately formula is very expensive therefore we are looking into goat rearing to produce milk, mothers who have benefitted from our program are keen to get a sustainable income to provide HIV funding to help others in the same situation.

HIV funding: Two young boys from Kafekwa on the under fives’ feeding program

The Tusolwe Lwangunko HIV/AIDS Support Group Zambia, is run by a group of volunteers providing workshops, voluntary testing and sensitization programs. They rely on support from The Butterfly Tree to provide HIV funding and we have bought them goats to give them a sustainable generating income. I have worked with these people, they do an amazing job, based at Mukuni Health Centre, covering a vast area of the Chiefdom, encouring the communities to be tested and remove the stigmatism, the work is invaluable and we need to be able to expand on this.

HIV funding: HIV positive mother proudly presents her healthy baby

The most devastating is the number of AIDS orphans, over 400 in Mukuni alone and many more in surrounding villages. The only way to overcome the problem is to provide education for the children and teenagers. I believe they are the generation who could make the change. In Zambia the longevity is 34, they need our help to prevent them losing the next generation. By educating the pupils about the dangers of HIV and AIDS they will have a chance. We provide TMEs educational DVDs in each of the schools we operate and have distributed copies all over the nation. To help us educate these children you can, help via our orphan sponsorship scheme, for only £95 per annum (£8 per month).

Of all our programs supporting the HIV projects, education is one of the most essential, without this none of our other projects can be effective. We need to operate in more clinics, spread more awareness and provide more HIV funding to reach out to these rural people.

The Butterfly Tree has achieved a huge milestone. In the three years since we have been working at Mukuni Village the charity has raised over £250,000. Alongside this amazing amount we have sent as much again in donated medical and education supplies, clothing, blankets and equipment. The lives of thousands of people in the Mukuni Chiefdom and their facilities have been improved with this funding. Over twenty villages and six schools are receiving support from the charity and communities throughout Zambia are benefitting from the edcational DVDs we are distributing on behalf of TME.

Milestone for charity: Mukuni and Ng’andu pupils supported by The Butterfly Tree

From Hawaii to Australia our supporters are helping us to make a difference. Individuals, schools, corporates and trusts have supported The Butterfly Tree in our fight against world poverty. Worldeka is a collaborative platform designed to help you connect and create change and I am thrilled to say that we have just won a camcorder for our dynamic profile page on their website. Although Twitter and Facebook are great for social networking, Worldeka is the social network with a conscious bringing together people who are interested in charitable causes. You can hear the Mukuni children singing on Youtube.

Daily I am receiving offers of support from the likes of Kabaso who sell curios from Zambia donating all their profits to the charity, tour operators, schools wishing to raise funds for the African children and individuals who want to sponsor an orphan. All of this means that we can spread our work to other remote communities in Zambia.

Siamasimbi: providing health care supported by the charity

Our website is attracting donors from all over the globe, thanks to the dedicated work of Miranda De Freston of Juggle Frogs donating the website and her time to improve the networking of The Butterfly Tree. We welcome Miranda onto our board of Trustees and Leonnie Mangan who is setting up a program for special needs children at Mukuni Basic School, has joined our team and Mary Luckman and Ann Sutton have volunteered to help with the administration.

Much more needs to be done and there are many ways you can now help us reach half million pounds. Use everyclick the search engine, every time you click it rasies money for charity and currently you have the chance to win a Fiat 500 while raising money for The Butterfly Tree. Buy Once give Twice the charity auction site where you can add tickets, unwanted gifts or holiday accommodation and donate to the chartiy. Join us on Cleversquirrel and raise money for The Butterfly Tree, without you haivng to give any new money. Buying and selling on ebay for charities, take part in a sporting activity or get involved with one of our projects at Mukuni; anything however small can help us make a difference.

We are delighted that The Butterfly Tree is growing and still receiving funds despite the global crisis, thank you to everyone who has supported us. Zambia like many developing countries has been badly affected by the west’s problems; these rural communites need our charity – help us reach the next milestone!

Winter in Zambia is between June and August, although the daytime temperatures can reach up to 25 degrees the nights can drop below 4 degrees. For many this is a very difficult time, with no money to repair thatched a roof, no mattress, no blanket nor warm clothes the cold nights can be unbearable. For old people with a number of ailments, sufferers of  TB and  HIV/AIDS in Zambia and new born babies it can be life-threatening. I have come across a number of people who are still sleeping with no shelter, open to the elements and snakes.

Homes for Mukuni: a dwelling in Mukuni Village

The Butterfly Tree’s community housing project provides substantial mud huts with a concrete floor for the most vulnerable. Using local builders a construction can be erected for just £400 and can comfortably sleep up to four people. One woman in Mukuni Village told me that when she lies down in her new home she thinks that she must be dreaming. To date we have built over 30 of these houses but need many more . This is the time of year when the grasses are ready for gathering, old roofs can be rethatched to keep the huts dry in the rainy season.

The Butterfly Tree community house

Providing a new home for a widow with young children or an elderly person who has no one to care for them can give them hope and a better chance of surving the cold winter months. A mattress at £20 and a blanket for £10 is an added bonus.