Nothing pleases me more than to learn that our projects are making a difference. When we started the under fives’ feeding program to help HIV mothers it was the first of its kind in Zambia. The Butterfly Tree provides formulae to replace breastmilk in HIV positive mothers to prevent the tansmission of HIV and AIDS in Zambia from mother to infant. Many babies also suffer from malnutrition having being breastfed for the first six months.  After six months the chances of transmission increase so we provide the formulae and vitamin supplements to give the babies a chance. Last week all the babies on the program were tested and everyone of them was HIV negative.

HIV/AIDS in Zambia: these babies are healthy and free of HIV

Although the charity has raised the funds thanks must also go to the hard-working medical staff at Mukuni Village who run our health projects. Donations received during last years GlobalGiving Challenge also boosted our HIV/AIDS programs and will enable us to carry out workshops and voluntary testing for more rural villages in the Mukuni Chiefdom. For the past three years Saga Charitable Trust has provided us with funds to support our malaria program. Every year there is a shortfall of mosquito nets and malaria testing kits, 75% of people who die from Africa malaria are children under the age of five in Sub-Sahara Africa. It is vital that these vulnerable young children are protected and if tested in the early stages malaria can easily be treated.

This year besides continuing our support at Mukuni and Katapazi clinics we are building a house to accomodate medical staff for N’songwe Village. The community have built a clinic but have been unable to open it as there is no staff housing; at present the community members have to walk the long distance to Mukuni Health Centre. With these facilities we have a better chance to tackle the HIV and AIDS in Zambia and Africa malaria.

During my visit to Mukuni I was fortunate to have Professor Doug Saunders from Sydney University acccompany for four days. After a brief encounter at Livingstone airport in May 2007 Doug was interested in my work, came to the UK to see me and this February funded a trip to Zambia to assist the charity. He is setting up a program to allow medical students from the University to do their internship at Mukuni Health Centre and Livingstone Hospital, giving the students experience and tropical medicine and in return the students will bring a wealth of knowledge for new treatments.

I took Doug to the morning clinics at Mukuni Health Centre, run by Mr. Mwewa, the clinical officer and Mrs Mukuni the midwife. From a medical experience he was fasinated but equally appalled by the lack of facilities, equipment and medicines. In fifty years in medicine, specialising in gynaecology and obstetrics, he had never seen cases of malaria, leprosy, TB in HIV positve women, severe pre-ecampsia or juvenile cataract.

Chaton Siloka awaiting an operation at Mukuni Health Centre

Doug offered to help with diagnosis and treatment. Two boys who had been suffering from ailments for several years; one had continual urinary infections and the other an enlarged spleen, neither could not be treated in hospital due to lack funds. They had been unable to attend school for much of the year and suffered pain and discomfort. Another boy, Martin Siloka had accidently been hit by a small stone, resulting in loss of sight in one eye as a a cataract had formed. The Butterfly Tree is funding treatment for these three children.

I have set up a program to fund four children a month who need hospital treatment. Although Mukuni Health Centre has some excellent staff it has not got the facilities to operate or treat certain cases. Idrin Ghani who The Butterfly Tree has been funding since last October had her final operation last month and has recovered from the osteomylitis that could have taken her life.

We all complain about our medical care, in the UK it is a free service and we have very good facilites; these rural people cannot evern afford the transport to take them to hospital, where they have to pay for their medication and often the operation as well. Our Gallery shows photos of the Mukuni Health Centre.

Today marks World Water Day. Despite the UN’s International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life 2005–2015′, there are still over a billion people who have not got access to safe, clean water. Water is life, a commodity that we take for granted in the west, but when you have to drink the water from crocodile infested rivers and carry it for several kilometres it is very precious. Millions of children die each year from preventable water-borne diseases, hunger and poverty are a result of water shortage. Women spend many hours of their day fetching water. In a country such as Zambia when the dry season lasts for six months it is crucial to have an adequate source of safe, clean water.

This stagnant water is used for drinking and washing

Earlier this month we were able to provide four new bore holes for the Mukuni Cheifdom. We are working with two other water charites, Just a Drop and W Charitable Foundation who have donated three of the bore holes. WCF are funding London’s University’s SOAS to research water problems in Africa and we are delighted that they have chose The Butterfly Tree for some of their field work studies.

Mukuni, Siamasimbi and Katapazi schools will all benefit. Previously they had to share a well with the community, which depletes the supply and in some cases the water is only available for a few hours a day. Not only is there insufficient water for drinking but also for washing and sanitation. The school will now be able to grow their own vegetables reducing hunger amongst the pupils and making them more sustainable.

The fourth is from a very generous family from the US who I met in Zambia last June. The village of Kafekwa and their neighbours had to rely on river water, highly contaminated, diarrhoa is a common ailment amongst these people. It is a fertile growing area, the income comes from farming and now with the addition of the new well and pump more food can be grown.  

New bore hole and pump for Kafekwa Village

We insist that the communities receiving our donated bore holes have their own water committee, must maintain the hand pumps and teach the people basic hygiene.

The Butterfly Tree has partnered with Buy One Give Twice, the UK’s premier charity auction site. If you have any unwanted Christmas presents, having an annual Spring clean or want to donate event tickets or holiday accomodation to raise money for The Butterfly Tree contact us and we will sell them through this secure charity auction site.

When I go out to Zambia and visit Mukuni Village and see how little the people have I feel ashamed when I think about all the material things that I have in my home. I am ‘decluttering’, which is good for the mind and soul and The Butterfly Tree and local charity shops are benefitting. Now you can sell your unwanted items and raise money for The Butterfly Tree. All you have to do is donate the item to the charity, it will then be auctioned and the proceeds with help our projects at Mukuni.

Just a small amount could provide stationary or education for one of the many orphans. As little as £10 can buy 40 tablets of soap. Schools in Zambia receive very little government funding and rely on donations from charities and visitors. We provide edcuational material and sports equipment as well as classrooms, teacher’s houses and toilets. £400 can build a community house for a widow or an elderly person living in appalling conditions or £650 can provide a pit-latrine toilet for a school. £95 can sponsor a childs education for an entire year.

Pit-latrine toilets at Mukuni Village

Lack of hygiene is one of the major problems and infant diarrhoea is common in these remote villages. Having no access to clean, safe water and soap creates many health issues. We are raising funds for the Mukuni Cheifdom to provide more bore holes, improve the sanitation and provide basic hygiene education using workshops and edcuational DVDs.