Charity History

The Butterfly Tree charity was founded by Jane Kaye-Bailey after a business incentive trip to Zambia with her late husband, Lawrence, in February 2006. During a visit to the Mukuni Village they learned about the decimation caused by HIV/AIDS in Zambia,  every family had been infected or affected. Out of 1000 pupils attending Mukuni Basic School 450 were orphans.  Shocked and disturbed by what she had learnt Jane was determined to find a way to raise funds to help these vulnerable children.

March 2006 the girls who inspired the founder  - Esnat, Angela and Cynthia

March 2010 Esnat, Cynthia & Angela attend Mukuni Basic School

In April 2006 vigilant about where the money would go, Jane and her son David, returned to Mukuni Village to offer further assistance, taking with them medical supplies for the clinic, clothing for the orphans, books and stationary for the school. During that time they met with the Chieftainess, the Prime Minister and the School’s Head Teacher gaining knowledge of what could be done to improve the lives of these ‘needy’ people. Muchof the time was spent at Mukuni Basic School learning about the orphans.

Inspired by the three little girls pictured above the UK charity was founded. A month later The Butterfly Tree was registered as a Non-Government Organization in Zambia.

The Butterfly Tree has made a significant difference to these villages, working alongside members of the Mukuni Chiefdom; advancing the education, health, water and community facilities. Vast amounts of supplies have been air freighted to the area and The Butterfly Tree orphan sponsorship program is currently supporting almost 400 orphans. The Butterfly Tree believes that every child has a right to education.

Mukuni Pre-school Children before The Butterfly Tree

Mukuni Pre-school funded by The Butterfly Tree

In helping to fund a three-bay classroom Mukuni Basic School has the first rural ‘high school’ in the Kasungula District. The children can now complete grade twelve instead of having to leave after grade nine, as many cannot afford to board in Livinstone’s high school. The BFSS provided The Butterfly Tree with a grant to equip this project. The charity has also built a pre-school and is funding three members of staff, attended by 225 young children from Mukuni Village and has provided 13 pit-latrine toilets for both the pupils and teachers. Huge amounts of stationery and equipment has been provided. A feeding programs for over 1500 vulnerable children are funded by the charity at Mukuni, Siamasimbi, N’gandu, Kamwi, Katapazi and Mubiana Schools.

2009 saw the upgrading of Katapazi School and bore holes were added to the schools of Katapazi, Mukuni, N’gandu and Siamasimbi. In 2010 six additional classrooms have been build at Kamwi, Siamasimbi, and three at Mukuni for special education, pre-school and grades 8 & 9. Machenje will have a pre-school and Mandandi will have a new school. Materials have been provided for all these schools with the addition of N’Songwe, Libala, Mulindi and Manyemunyemu.

Other projects included building four teachers’ houses with three more completed in 2010. The renovation of the Mukuni Health Centre and building a maternity clinic was done in 2007. Katapazi’s clinic was restored and extended in 2009 and N’songwe will have a staff house to open their clinic in 2010. Funds were also given to a ‘distraught’ family to build a new house after their home had burned down in an accidental fire, a villager has been given money to set up a welding business and an elderly man from Kamwi was given a donkey to ease his burden of carrying heavy loads of vegetables twenty miles to town, he now supplies the school with his produce. Nine leaking tanks have been replaced at Mukuni Village and bore holes have been added to the four schools and the villages of Chise and Kafekwa; each school can now grow vegetables to support the feeding programs.

Africa malaria and four HIV/AIDS programs have been introduced and a housing project, where over fifty houses have been built for vulnerable members of the community, most especially the elderly and widows housing orphans. Treatment and operations have been funded for sick children. Sustainable generating activities are being run at the schools and in the villages.

The villages of Ng’andu, Kamwi, Katapazi, Chise, Machenje, Siamasimbi, Kafekwa, N’songwe and Dumwa are among the villages that have received assistance from The Butterfly Tree. Areas of Livingstone affected by the floods in January received medical supplies, blankets and clothing air-freighted to assist the crisis. We have distributed TME’s educational DVDs to many areas throughout Zambia.

Restoration of N’gandu School

Way forward for Charity

Our vision is to improve the lives of people, most especially orphans, living in rural communities decimated by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. By going into the heart of these villages The Butterfly Tree has uncovered the real needs of these vulnerable people and believes that these people are ready to move forward.

Chief Mukuni states that education is the key. We aim to support more rural schools and to ensure that all the orphans receive an education. The Butterfly Tree intends to improve other health clinics, to provide further bore holes for remote villages and continue the HIV/AIDS program.

Jane dedicates all her free time to helping these humble people. She is also a speaker on Philanthropic Travel and Responsible Tourism. In 2007 she was invited to speak at both the Global Luxury Forum and the World Travel Market and in 2008 held a seminar at the European Travel Distibution Summit. The charity is the Summit’s official charity for 2008 and 2009. Jane also talks to local schools and organisations spreading awareness of the plight of these vulnerable people. She regularly visit the projects, has a wonderful team of volunteers on the NGO committee in Zambia and ten female represetatives to oversee the welfare of the orphans. The Butterfly Tree has a global following of donors, fundraisers and volunteers, particularly in the UK and the USA and as far a field as Australia and Hawaii.

• 2007 featured at the Global Luxury Forum and the World Travel Market
• 2008 The Butterfly Tree was shortlisted to the final five of the Charity Times ‘best new charity of the year’ and given a Google ADSWord award
• 2009-10 the charity raised almost quarter of a million pounds, over 95% was used for grass root projects
• 2010 our story was selected to be featured on Facebook. Our most successful year to date - supporting 10 schools and 3 clinics. Launched a charity single ‘Change for the Better’
• 2010-2011 the charity raised in excess of quarter of a million pounds
• 2011 awarded substantial grant aid to built three new school – one in Mukuni and two in the Musokotwane Chiefdom
• 2011 selected by the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club to be featured in their 2012 Yearbook and won a free team place to participate in Cyclothon UK at Brands Hatch
• 2011 selected by ENRC Marketing Ag as the charity working in Africa as having the best proven record of transparency
• 2011-12 built three new schools, 7 teacher’s houses, women’s and borders’ shelters, two bore holes and sponsored many more orphans