Since The Butterfly Tree’s involvement at Mukuni Basic School a great deal of development has taken place. After a successful project funded by The Butterfly Tree the completion of a three bay classroom, with storage rooms and an office, has been achieved making it the first rural high school in Kasungula district. Since then a further three bay classroom has been added as well as classrooms for pre-school, and special education children. A further two bay classroom was completed in June 2013. In addition boarding shelters have been constructed for older pupils who have to walk long distances to school. Extra boarding facilities have been added in January 2014. The school has over 1000 of which almost 50% are orphans due to the high rate of HIV and AIDS in the area. Our ‘sponsor an orphan‘ program has sponsored over 500 of these vulnerable children since 2006.

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HRH Princess Royal visits Mukuni Basic School

 

Three bay classroom funded by The Butterfly Tree – opened in 2010

Three bay classroom  funded by The Butterfly Tree – opened in 2010

Our achievements with Mukuni Basic School so far

  • Funding of the building and equipping of a new high school classroom
  • Completion of five teachers’ houses
  • Bore hole and Playpump for the school
  • Daily nutritional feeding program for over 400 ‘needy’ children
  • Sponsorship of over 500 orphans in education
  • Provided large quantities of stationary, books and sports equipment
  • 13 toilets for the pupils and 4 for the teachers
  • Supplying sports equipment & funds for sports days
  • Providing vast amounts of clothing for the vulnerable children
  • Totally funding of two pre-school classrooms, equipment  for 250 children, supporting two teachers and a classroom helper
  • Addition of a Special Education Class in 2010 for children with both mental and physical difficulties
  • Houses for the 11 high school teachers and their families
  • Part funding of a science laboratory for the high school
  • Three bay-classroom was opened in 2010 for grades 8-9
  • Classroom for Special Education 2010
  • Teacher exchange program for special education
  • Two boarders’ shelters constructed in 2012
  • HRH The Princess Royal visited The Butterfly Tree at Mukuni Basic School
  • Two bay classroom opened in 2013
  • Sustainable school shop constructed in 2013
  • Extended boarding facilities added in 2014

History of the Basic School

Founded in 1912 by the Church of Christ, The Mukuni Basic School was established to educate children between grades one and four. Two classrooms and a teacher’s house were built at the entrance to the village. It took fifty-four years before the Catholic Church in 1966 made an addition to the school by building two more classrooms for grades five to seven and three teacher’s houses. By 1974 the Zambian government contributed by building two more classrooms and two further teacher’s houses. It was almost thirty years before further development to the school was made. Between 2001 and 2003 the Basic Sub Sector Investment Program added a 3 bay classroom block and a teacher’s house was built through a twinning program with a school in Norway. A school tuck shop was also added.Founded in 1912 by the Church of Christ, The Mukuni Basic School was established to educate children between grades one and four. Two classrooms and a teacher’s house were built at the entrance to the village.

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Mukuni Basic School

Aged 56 Reverend Presley Mulenga comes from Eastern Province of Zambia and completed school in 1979 with a Cambridge certificate. In 1984- 85 he enrolled at Chipata Teachers’ College to study teaching as a profession. His first appointment was at Mambova Primary School in the southern province in 1986. In the same area in 1993 Presley was promoted to Deputy Head Teacher at Katombora Basic School. During this time he took a diploma in education, five years later he became Head Teacher at the same school.  In 2002 Presley was sent to Mukuni Basic School as their Head Teacher with his wife Sylvia Muwowo and their five children. In 2010 Presley became a Reverend. He is driving force behind this successful school and since The Butterfly Trees’ involvement Mukuni Basic School has progressed considerably in the past six years. Jane and Presley work closely together on all the projects to achieve better working conditions for both pupils and teachers, improved quality education and advanced facilities. After thirteen years as Head Teacher at Mukuni Basic School Presley was moved to River View School in the Sekute Chiefdom. He is very much missed in the village, but remains a key member of The Butterfly Tree in Zambia.

Presley with his wife Sylvia who also works for the Ministry of Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since The Butterfly Trees’ involvement Mukuni Basic School it has progressed considerably in the past seven years and Jane and Presley work closely together on all the projects to achieve better working conditions for both the pupils and teachers, improved quality and education and advanced facilities.

2013 there are now over 50 teachers in all sectors of the school:

  • 1005 pupils from grades 1-9 in the basic school
  • 240 in the high school, which opened in 2007
  • 16 special education children 250 pre-school children
  • 230 pre-school children
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Two bay classroom opened 2013

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Two hundred schools bags were donated to pupils in 2013

 

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January 2014 – pupils given trainers donated by PovertyKickz

January 2014 – Mukuni Basic School gains best results in the Kazungula District for grades seven and nine.

Further results for 2014

Boarding facilities extended & more orphans sponsored in education