Friday 25th November saw the launch of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club 2012 Yearbook. For the first time the Club has introduced a philanthropy section – The Butterfly Tree has been included in this prestigious edition as one of their selected charities. The event took part at the renowed Claridges Hotel in London in the form of a champagne reception and afternoon tea. A far cry from the remote villages of Zambia, but a rare opportunity to promote our work, creating further awareness of the plight of those less fortunate.

We are most grateful to Karen Lytle from Arizona, who generously sponsored our advert in the publication. The feature was written by an award-winning journalist and the book has been published by St. James House of London. The Yearbook will be presented globally to Royalty, Heads of State and the Club’s members among many other people. It is a great honour to be included in this esteemed book and we are hopeful that it will bring forth new donors and philanthropic travellers to visit our projects close to the Victoria Falls region of Zambia.

Extract from the 2012 Yearbook

Despite its outstanding natural beauty and the warmth of its citizens, Zambia is home to many stories of suffering and tragedy. Almost three quarters of a million children have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in this landlocked sub- Saharan country of just 12 million inhabitants, while one in six adults carries the HIV virus. Life expectancy is a mere 35 years – and with two thirds of the population living on less than one dollar a day, few have the means to acquire expensive medical supplies in a country that is already desperately short of drugs and life-saving equipment and relies heavily on international aid.

Saving lives: Having been confronted with these heart-rending problems during a visit to Zambia in 2006, Jane Kaye-Bailey vowed to establish a charity back in Britain to tackle the issues head-on. The Butterfly Tree was born soon afterwards, and through tireless volunteer work, this respected charity has made a real difference on the ground. The Butterfly Tree’s activities have transformed the lives of numerous children, as Jane explains: ‘Three quarters of all deaths caused by malaria occur in children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa. By providing mosquito nets and malaria testing kits, many lives can be saved.

Follow link:  The Butterfly Tree in the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club 2012 Yearbook

The worst thing that can happen to any child is to lose a parent, but when a child loses both mother and father life becomes unbearble. To add to the heartbreak many of them have to drop out of school. There are 710,000 orphans in Zambia who need support. In some cases these children have to go into orphanages. For rural children a better alternative is available – if they can live with friends or relatives then at least they can have stability. The Butterfly Tree orphan sponsorship program has provided an education for over 400 vulnerable children and hundreds more have been assisted in many ways. This takes the pressure off their guardians and gives them an opportunity to stay at school with their friends. Education is the key and their only hope for a brighter future.

Support Aids orphans – young girl survives lightning strike

I recently met a young orphan who lives with her aunt. During a terrific thunder storm she was struck by lightning while standing inside her mud hut. The strike hit her back creating holes her uniform and she collapsed from shock, someone managed to get her to safety before the house went up in flames. Miraculously she had only superficial burns but they had lost all their meagre possessions and clothing. Life is tough being an orphan but when faced with these kinds of challenges it becomes insupportable. The Butterfly Tree builds community houses for orphans and their guardians, in many cases these guardians are elderly grandparents who have no source of income.

Sponsored orphans  - Mukuni Village

If you would like to sponsor an orphan or donate to towards this program it will help these children to overcome their loss. In December we are participating in The Big Give Christmas Challenge, which means that any donation received between the 5th – 9th December is eligible for matched funding. Donations must be made directly to the Big Give website and will be transferred to The Butterfly Tree charity account.