“Informing you that I am a girl, aged 15 years and was born on the 18th April 1993. My father died when I was one year and six months old and my mother died when I was three years old. Am a person who likes going to school and I like playing netball, singing and dancing. I live in Zambia’s Southern Province in Mukuni Village. At Mukuni I live with my grandmother. At school I am doing grade nine and my hobby is singing gospel music.

Annastasia at Mukuni Basic School

When I was in grade six life was very miserable but since I came under The Butterfly Tree sponsorship life is now better. I wish to complete my education and be a better person in future. I like joking with people who encourage me about life and education. In November I will have my final examination. My hope is just based on education and I hope I will be fine at the end of the day.”

You can sponsor an orphan like Annastasia for £95 per annum.

“From the time you chose me to be one of the people to be sponsored I have really moved a step forward in my life. Since my father died on the 8th September of 2003, my life entirely depended on my cousin, who also has a family to look after. Now you pay an important role in my life such that I cannot think of my dead parents. I appreciate your support and hope that this will continue for the rest of my school life.”

 
Mukabalengu at Mukuni Basic School

Mukabalengu had TB in 2006 and is now fully recovered and enjoying life at Mukuni Basic School.

Jesse Musowe lives in Kamwi Village with her mother, twin brothers & step-father who is 76 years of age. She is eleven years old and in grade four at Mukuni Basic School. Although Jesse is not really an orphan she is from an extremely poor family. To earn money to provide for the family her step-father grew vegetables some miles from their home then carried two heavy loads twice a week to Livingstone, a distance of twenty miles from Kamwi. To ease the burden The Butterfly Tree bought the old man a donkey and asked him to provide his vegetables for our feeding program at Mukuni school , only three miles from his home.

The Butterfly Tree has also added Aaron and Saikuba, both thirteen years of age, to our orphan sponsorship program, all three children are gaining a good edcuation and the step-father has a much easier task.

Jesse Musowe attending Mukuni Basic School

Jesse with her family in Kamwi Village

Oliver Kamwi lost his father when he was very young. His mother in order to earn money to feed her young, gave herself to men in return for payment, she has five other children to support, Oliver is the oldest. When he first arrived to start grade seven at Mukuni Basic School he only possessed the torn clothes that he was wearing. He now benefits from the orphan sponsorhip program. Oliver lives in Kamwi Village and each day walks the three miles to Mukuni Basic School, where he not only receives an education thanks to his sponsor but also a daily nutritional meal from the feeding program provided  The Butterfly Tree.

Oliver back left with his mother and siblings

Shilla Mwanakwaba is 11 years old and comes from Mukuni Village, she lost her mother when she was 6 and comes from a large family. She has been sponsored by The Butterfly Tree since December 2006. For the past few years she has looked after by an aunt who also has several younger children to care for. One of our representatives, who check on the welfare of our orphans, believed the Shilla was not receiving proper care with the aunt so is now living with her grandmother in nearby Livingstone town. Shilla, though missing her friends at Mukuni, is being well cared for and her grades at school, have greatly improved.

Photo: Shilla aged 11 years from Mukuni Village

Olbert Kamungondo was born in 1986 and when he was just five months old his mother and all other passengers were killed in a bus accident, where Olbert was the only survivor. His father took his old brother and moved away from the Mukuni chiefdom, leaving Olbert with his grandparents. At a later stage his uncle took him to Kamwi village primary school to start his education. Unfortunately when his uncle remarried Olbert was no longer made welcome, so he then went to live with a teacher at Mukuni Basic School, who looked after Olbert until he completed grade 9, after which he had to fend for himself.

In January 2007, at the age of 20, Olbert was sponsored by The Butterfly Tree and was allowed to live in one of the shelters we built for pupils who live long distances from the school. They were having to sleep on the ground with only a thin blanket each. During the day he was entitled to The Butterfly Tree’s feeding program and was expected to provide supper for himself and his younger cousin. However the only way he could make money to buy food was by selling curios; sadly his grades began to fall. We believe that Olbert is a survivor and has great potential so in addition we bought him two matresses, warm blankets and have agreed to provide a monthly income to cover his expenses.

Photo: Olbert in Mukuni Village, on the right, with mattress