World Malaria Day marks the unified commemoration of the global effort to provide effective control of malaria throughout the world. Africa malaria is the biggest killer of man, with 75% of deaths occuring in children under the age of five in Sub-Sahara Africa. There are almost one million new cases recorded every year.

According to the World Health Organization half of the world’s population are at risk of malaria. While there are four parasites that can cause malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum is by far the most deadly and common, this strain is prevelant in Zambia. Once a person is bitten by a P. falciparum carrying mosquito, the parasite grows, multiplies, and undergoes a series of complex life cycle changes that allow it to invade the immune system and infect the liver and red blood cells. Malaria disease caused by P. falciparum may result in death within hours or a few days of infection especially in those with a low immunity such as children, pregnant women, people with AIDS and travelers with little or no malaria. It can also result in the miscarriage in pregnant women, low birth-weight infants, developmental disabilities and other complications.

The Butterfly Tree provides mosquito nets, malaria testing kits and educational workshops for remote villages, such as Mukuni, in Zambia. The long-lasting insecticide treated nets provide nightly protection, the most vulnerable time is between 10pm and 5am when most bites occur. The result of last year’s distribution of nets is that no new cases of malaria have been reported. Providing malaria testing kits is equally important, though malaria cannot be cured it can easily be treated if caught in time. Education is the key; workshops in the communities teach them the dangers of malaria, the importance of nets and the need to be tested.

‘Change for the Better’

Lillian Mweene from Mukuni Village, having completed her education after being on our orphan sponsorship program, told me she wanted to be a musician. I then listened to her sing and contacted Basement Entertainment UK, who put me in touch with TY2, one of Zambians top male artists. Ty2 called me and offered his help, I suggested that it would be great to have our own charity song. He then met me Livingstone, bringing fellow artist Crystal Shaun and Kaufela from Zambezi Fm to record a song. Lillian was invited to join them, the words were written by the artsits themselves and recorded at Raising Sounds Studio with a bonus track from Lillian. Change for the Better was completed in less than two days. We are grateful to the following who have also donated their services: the artists, Raising Sounds Studio, Zambezi Fm, Hiltongrove Mastering, Basement Entertainment UK, PSW Printers and Xpresscds. No less tha 80% of the sale to be used for The Butterfly Tree Malaria Program, sponsored by Saga Charitable Trust with support from Viking River Cruises. The song is available to purchase, on this website, as a CD for £5 or download for £2 and in shops throughout Zambia from May.

Buy the CD or download via: www.changeforthebetter.bandcamp.com

Please buy this song and save a child’s life

Besides producing charity songs The Butterfly Tree is also supporting enviromental issues and recognising World Earth Day. Mother nature has played havoc with our earth in the past few months so we have to protect the wonderful world we live in. Global warming is effecting the entire planet, each and everyone of us must play our part.

It is very difficult to change the culture and way of life of tribal people, such as the Leyas of Mukuni Village. Due to the vast amount of wood needed for people living in rural communities,the forests of Zambia are being depleted. Wood is needed for building mud huts and charcoal is required for cooking. In villages like Mukuni wood carving has been the main source of income for many years and for many people their only skill. Being in a tourist catchment area, close to the Victoria Falls, the main source of income is curio selling. Magnificent animal carvings, intricate masks and wooden bowls are among some of the many items sold at the Victoria Falls and Mukuni Markets.

World Earth Day: The mighty Zambezi River flowing towards the magnificent Victoria Falls

With high unemployment throughout the nation selling crafts to tourists is a means of providing food for the family. One solution is to provide tree nurseries for these rural communities. Not just providing seeds but offering educational workshops on how to preserve and protect the enviroment. Garry Brooks, the founder of African Community Projects, is a Canadian forestry expert, who has freely offered his expertise to show us how to go about growing trees. In our small way we can not only help the people of Mukuni Village but also acknowledge World Earth Day by planting thousands of trees.

The three main political parties, in preparation for the forthcoming election, have put the NHS as one of their main priorities. Despite its many shortfalls the NHS provides a high standard of medical care from GP level to critical illnesses; without it much of our population would be struggling to find the neccessary funds for private healthcare. We have all complained about being kept waiting in a doctor’s surgery or for being put on a waiting list pending an operation but we are still better off than many other countries. In some of the poorest nations in the world the waiting lists can be years, not because there are no medical facilities, but simply because most people cannot afford the transport to get them to hospital. Zambia has to rely on international aid to support their medical facilities.

Health support for Zambia: Mukuni baby tested free of HIV

The Butterfly Tree funds both Mukuni and Katapazi Health Centres, without these funds the clinics would be closed. This year we are to support a third clinci at N’Songwe. In addition to providing vast amounts of medical supplies and equipment, we have initiated a number of health programs. These include the under-fives’ feeding program, to replace breastmilk in HIV positve mothers with formulae. The latest results are that all the babies have been tested free of HIV. The HIV and Aids in Zambia workshops provide voluntary testing, sensitization and councelling to outreach villages by a number of volunteers who are all HIV positive. A number of children have undergone successful operations with funds provided by the charity, without this support the outcome for these innocent youngsters would have been grim.

One of the most vital programs we fund is for Africa malaria. We provide mosquito nets and malaria testing kits, thanks to an annual donation from Saga Charitable Trust we are able to reach villages that have not received any nets. Again we include workshops teaching people the dangers of this destructive disease and the importance of using an insecticide-treated nets. The 25th April marks World Malaria Day, in recognition of this The Butterfly Tree has teamed up with Basement Entertainment UK to launch a charity single, entitled ‘Change for the Better’ to raise global awareness and funds for the fight against malaria. It features TY2, Crytal Shaun, Kaufela and Mukuni’s Lillian Mweene. No less than 80% from the sale of this song will go directly to the cause; both the CD and download will be available to purchase on this website from 25th April for £5 and £2 respectively.

Change for the Better: promoting global awareness for malaria

We are urging everyone to buy this song to ’save a child’s life’.

Of all the programs we run in Zambia, malaria has to be one of the most essential. Africa malaria is the biggest killer of man, 75% of deaths occur in children under the age of five in Sub-Sahara Africa. Although it cannot be cured it can be easily treated if caught in time. Thanks to generous funding from Saga Charitable Trust we have been able to provide educational workshops, mosquito nets and malaria testing kits. Our latest report shows a significant reduction in new cases and in areas where we have distributed mosquito nets there has been no occurrences.

Africa malaria: ‘Change for the Better’

The government are unable to supply free mosquito nets to all the nation. It is vital for children under the age of five and pregnant women to be protected; sadly this is not the case and several areas of Mukuni do not have enough nets and new cases of malaria have recently been confirmed. Educating the people of the dangers of this destructive disease is equally important. Mosquitos like still or slow moving water, the malaria mosquitos lay their eggs in clean water and bite only between 10 pm and dawn. Getting tested as soon as possible is crucial, so that the neccessary drugs can be perscribed, before the sickness becomes critical. People with HIV are particulary sensitive as they have an impaired immune systems, therfore they too should sleep under mosquito nets.

Buy this song to save a child’s life

With World Malaria Day fast approaching and targets to be met by governments worldwide, The Butterfly Tree is supporting the fight against malaria by launching a charity song, called ‘Change for the Better’. The song which features top Zambian artist TY2, with Crystal Shaun, Kaufela and Lillina Mweene from Mukuni Village, will be sold to raise global awareness and funds to purchase mosquito nets and malaria testing kits. It will be available in shops throughout Zambia and the CD or download can be bought on this website from the 25th April.

Basement Entertainment UK who have parterned with us, to help promote the song, are hosting an event in London for the UK Zambian community on the 24th April. All profits from the sale of the CD and event will go directly to our Africa malaria program. Buy ‘Change for the Better’ and save a child’s life.

It is now four years since I started working at Mukuni Village and three years since the founding of The Butterfly Tree. What began as a project to help a few orphans and to raise funds to build a high school at Mukuni has surpassed any expectations I may have had. Little did I know that The Butterfly Tree would grow and grow, attracting global support from Hawaii to Australia or that we would be sponsoring almost 300 orphans, supporting eleven schools, three clinics and reaching out to a population in excess of twenty thousand.

Change for the Better: The Butterfly Tree Orphan Sponsorship Program

This year we have received enormous funding which has enabled us to expand our health and education projects, constructing classrooms to upgrade schools will be our main focus. Amongst them will be the opening of a new school at Mandandi, a pre-school at Machenje and a special education classroom at Mukuni Basic School. Education is the key and the only way for the people to overcome the hardships caused through the HIV/AIDS pandemic and Africa malaria, the biggest killer of man. These two devasting diseases cause so much destruction at every level, from remote village communities to goverment officers. We are undertaking a massive appeal to mark World Malaria Day on the 25th April to promote global awarenss and raise funds for this vital cause. 

Mosquito nets are needed to protect young children like this girl from Mukuni

To assist Zambia in the global fight against malaria The Butterfly Tree is launching a charity song, entitled ‘Change for the Better’. This is performed by Zambia’s top artist TY2 accompanied by Crystal Shaun, George Mukwita and Lillian Mweene from Mukuni who was on The Butterfly Tree ophan sponsorship program. We have teamed up with Basement Entertainment to promote and market the song, which will be available to purchase on both websites. All the proceeds collected will be used to purchase mosquito nets and malaria testing kits. Next week a pre-order form will be added so please support this appeal, which could save the lives of thousands of young children. In four years The Butterly Tree has made many Changes for the Better - your support will help to make many, make more.