I shall shortly be leaving for Zambia and one of the projects I am hoping to set up is a small initiative for the pupils on our orphan sponsorship program. In December 2009 a number of them completed grade twelve and have now left the high school we built. Sadly there is little employment and our aim is to support a sustainable income-generating activity for these vulnerable orphans. One project is for them to have a small business making school uniforms and selling school supplies.

Charity funding for Mukuni: Jacob Siatubitu completes the orphan sponsorship program

Once the high school Science lab is finished it will enable the pupils to take all the related subjects and sit internal examinations. They can also be taught about how to protect their enviroment and eco-tourism. My son, Mike and a friend will be cycling from London to Nottingham to raise funds for this much needed project.

The Mukuni Chiefdom is developing in tourism and last month saw the launch of the Mukuni Big 5 Safaris. Currently tourists can walk with the lions, go elephant back riding with many more plans on the horizon. This will also create much needed work for the people.

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.

The Besom has generously donated funds to buy the materials for a classoom block to be built at Mukuni Basic School. The charity and community will supply the labour costs. We have also received a grant from St James Place Foundation Newbury Office, which will pay for materials and uniforms for the pupils. Fountaindale Special School in Mansfield, who caters for children with severe disabilities are offering on going support through fundraising and the provison of materials. They have held a number of events to raise funds for these African children who they believe to be worse off than they are. I am so touched by the genorosity of this school as their pupils need so much care and yet their selflessness will improve the lives of children who need special education in Mukuni Village.

Special Education for Mukuni: Siabajene has learning difficulties

This will be a great advancement for Mukuni and Zambia education as very little is available from the government who will only provide a teacher. To further enhance this project you can donate a donkey to transport a disabled child to school or sponsor an orphan.

Once again the The British and Foreign School Society has generously given a grant to help six more basic schools. Katapazi, Siamasimbi, N’songwe, Libala, Manayemumyemu and Mulindi Basic Schools will each receive funding to purchase stationery and equipment. We are currently working in Katapazi, Siamasimbi and N’songwe, now this will give The Butterfly Tree an opportuntiy to assist three further schools, enabling us to expand our work within the chiefdom.

Education in Mukuni: Siamasimbi Pupils               N’gandu Basic School Pupils

Education is the key and the only way these vulnerable children have a chance of improving their circumstances. With 50 % of the pupils at Mukuni being orphaned through HIV/AIDS in Zambia it is crucial that these children are educated. All our projects revolve around orphan sponsorship and support aiming to enhance their health and education facilities. This month we have been able to extend our feeding programs, thanks to a very generous offer from a volunteer from Arizona who worked with me on the projects last September. Cunninghams continue to support the feeding program for the Mukuni schools; in addition we are providing food for N’gandu, Katapazi, Siamasimbi and Kamwi and the local community have provided the cooks. Another feeding program commenced at Mubiana Community School kindly funded by Placer Nature Centre.

To improve the education these schools need continued support as the government funding for basic schools is minimal. You too can help by giving a donation to one of our projects or you can sponsor an orphan for as little as £8 ($15) per month or £95 ($160) per annum.

Working in a country such as Zambia I have seen devastating loss and I know how vital aid work is. However it is essential that the funding and supplies are administered through the correct channels, ensuring that it does not get into the wrong hands. Being registered as a charity in Zambia as well as the UK has given The Butterfly Tree the opportunity to have a reliable and trustworthy team on the ground. They are able to initiate and oversee all our projects giving us regular reports and asking advice when needed.

One of the biggest projects we will be tackling in the next couple of months is the development of Kamwi Basic School, which currently has an intake of 130 pupils. Kamwi is in a particularly poor area of Mukuni with virtually no employment for the people. The older children currently have to walk up to six miles to Mukuni Basic School, hence the addition of a 1×3 classroom block and a teacher’s house the school will be advanced to grades five, six and seven. Four pit-latrine toilets will also be built, this project is being funded by a grant from JOAC.

Twins from Kamwi Basic School

At present the pupils and teachers have to share the community bore hole, a twenty minute walk from the school; shortly they will have a new well thanks to a donation from Just a Drop. The school is now being run by Sylvia Mulenga, wife of Presley Mulenga, Head Teacher of Mukuni Basic School and we have every confidence that the development of Kamwi Basic School will give these children hope for a brighter future.

We have had great success with our fundraising efforts this year. During the past few months we have increased our orphan sponsorship program, provided seeds for several school gardens and funded treatment for children. We have added five bore holes, built six community houses for widows and orphans, set up a sustainable chicken farm for a women’s group and provided essential funds for the HIV/AIDS in Zambia and malaria programs. Our biggest project, funded by JOAC, was to build a 1×3 classroom and extend the clinic at Katapazi Village, which is now complete.

Christmas: bore hole & classroom for Katapazi      Treatment funded for Kevin

Offering the chance for people to buy alternative Christmas presents has also been fruitful - donkeys, bicycles, chickens and even a house have been generously donated and the calendars as always have been very popular. Many people chose to donate instead of sending Christmas cards.

N’gandu boy takes his sisters to school A new home for a Mukuni widow and orphans

2010 will bring forth the most amazing grants we have ever received. JOAC has offered a huge amount of grant aid to enable us to do six building projects at Mukuni, Siamasimbi and Kamwi Schools, build a brand new school at Mandandi, open a pre-school at Machenje as well as the opportunity to improve a clinic at N’songwe. Just a Drop will fund a bore hole for Kamwi Basic School and Saga Charitable Trust have offered continual support for our health projects at Mukuni Village. The BFSS are giving us another generous grant to purchase stationery and materials for six more schools. All our schools will now receive a feeding program as World Bank are no longer providing porridge to these remote areas.

I would like to say a huge thank you to my fellow trustees, all the volunteers and fundraisers who have worked tirelessly to make this such a successful period and most especially to everyone who has generously donated to our cause and given hope to thousands of people in the Mukuni Chiefdom.

I am so grateful to everyone for helping me to achieve our goals and wish each and every one of you a very happy Christmas and a peacful and prosperous New Year.

Jane Kaye-Bailey

The children of Mukuni don’t receive Christmas presents, they don’t know about Father Christmas or the celebrations of the festive season. Apart from the joy of going to church on Christmas morning the rest of the day will just be as any other day at Mukuni Village. No stocking fillers nor treats just a plate of nsima (ground maize), vegetables and groundnuts and for the few lucky ones the addition of chicken or kapenta (dried fish) swilled down with water. Coke, Fanta and Lemonade are a luxury very few can afford and despite the constant heat ice-cream is unheard of.

Alternative Christmas presents could really help a child or community in need and give more satisfaction to the donor than the risk of purchasing an unwanted gift. From as little as £6 for a goat to building a house for a family your money will help to improve the life of someone less fortunate.

Presents for Mukuni: Donate a donkey

Life in these remote villages is tough - with daily challenges to meet these people strive to find food for their families, fresh water to drink and medicine to heal their sick. All things that we in the west take for granted. For the past seven months the rural clinics have received no government funding. Yesterday I was told that there is an outbreak  in the district and no money available to buy the neccessary insecticides. The Butterfly Tree will help to eradicate this issue, at least for Mukuni Village, in the forthcoming week. These are just some of the many problems these gentle people have to endure while we suffer from the pressures of our Christmas - what to eat and drink, what to wear and finding the perfect tree! 

The following can all be purchased through the charity as an alternative Christmas present to provide valuable funds to overcome these hardships:

Donate a goat - £6

Donate a football - £8

Donate 5 mosquito nets £20

Donate a donkey for a disabled child - £70

Donate a bicycle - £75

Sponsor an orphan - £95 per annum

Build a house for widows and orphans - £400

Buy a 2010 charity calendar - £4 plus postage

For more information email jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk or telephone 01926 843699

Over 33 million people are infected with HIV, over 2 million are children and millions more are affected by this devasting virus. In the UK alone there are 80,000 reported cases and the number increases every year.

This year’s World Aids Day theme is ‘Universal Access and Human Rights’. Today let us unite to help the world fight against HIV/AIDS by ensuring that human rights are protected. Touch Radio are supporting our campaign in addition to an appeal on the GlobalGiving website to attract world-wide attention.

In 2008 it was estimated that 2 million people died from AIDS, mostly under the age of 35, half of them not reaching their twenty-fifth birthday. Last year there were 2.7 million new cases reported. HIV/AIDS in Zambia affects every family, there are 710,000 orphans, one in every six adults have HIV and life-expectancy is only thirty-five.

World Aids Day: Protect this young child from Mukuni

The Butterfly Tree supports a number of HIV/AIDS programs at Mukuni Village, among them are an HIV group who provide voluntary testing and workshops, an under-fives feeding program to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to infant and an orphan sponsorship program for over 250 pupils. We supply educational materials provided by TME to communities throughout the nation.

HIV education is the key; by encouraging people to be tested, challenging the discrimination and removing the sitgma can make a significant impact. Schools, groups and companies must make use of the materials available - education leads to empowerment, helping to ensure that the global target for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care are met.

RESPECT - PROTECT 

Help us to protect and prevent losing the next generation.

Sponsor an orphan for Christmas and make a difference to a child’s life.

The Butterfly Tree calendar is ready to order and can be viewed on this page. This is our third year and already we have had numerous requests to buy them for gifts, offices and home use. The high quaility desk top calendar measures 21cm x 16cm and can be bought for £4 plus postage, US10 including postage.

If you would like to make a purchase please complete the form below.

I would like to thank all the companies who have each generously sponsored a page of this publication, enabling all proceeds on the sale of the calendar to go directly to the cause. 

UK postal Charges using 2nd class - 1 calendar is £1.41, 2-3 is £1.85, 4-5 is £2.24

US & rest of world - 1 calendar including postage $10 

Europe - 1 calendar including postage EUR6            

To achieve this we have to raise £1000 from at least 50 unique donors by the 30th November - easier said than done! The project we have submitted is entitled HIV/AIDS education and support to ZambianVillages, such as Mukuni. Virtually every Zambian’s life has been infected or affected by the HIV/AIDS panedmic, which has left 710,000 children orphaned. Education is the key to overcoming this incurable disease and our aim is to provide educational workshops and health support to the rural communities. Working with the professional team at the Mukuni Health Centre the funds will be used to provide this vital service offering voluntary testing, counselling and treatment for HIV/AIDS sufferers, most especially children. In addition we will provide education at the schools, help to remove the stigma and discrimination and offer income-generating activities to assist the HIV/AIDS support groups.

GlobalGiving Challenge: Educate these children about the dangers of HIV/AIDS

We are appealing to everyone to help us achieve this challenge by donating just £5 to our project through the GlobalGiving website, where you can read further details about this mission. We also have the chance to win an additional £1000 if we are at the top of the leader board.

Other ways you can help:

We have recently partnered with Raffle.it a new and exciting online raffle site, offering great prizes from leading companies, for every ticket we sell 80% is donated to The Butterfly Tree.

Sponsor an orphan - just £8 per month or £95 ($150) per annum

Clever Squirrel - a way of claiming back funds from insurance policies & pensions: http://cleversquirrel.com/htmlFiles/about.php

Katapazi a remote community with a polulation in excess of 5000 lies over 30 miles from Livingstone. It is accessible only by tracks and during the rainy season these become impassable. Part of the Mukuni Chiefdom Katapazi has a basic school and clinic, both were badly in need of restoration and advancement. The school has 500 pupils and most of them had to drop out after grade seven as the distance to the next school was too great. They can now add two more grades for the older children and benefit from having a spacious 1×3 classroom block and additional pit-latrine toilets.

Katapzi Village: new classroom block             pit-latrine toilet

For the men of Katapazi the facilities at the clinic were non-existent, the nearest health centre demanded a walk of over 25 miles resulting in uneccessary deaths. Besides restorating the existing clinic we have built a seperate male ward and installed solar panels to provide lightning for the clinic to operate at night. In addition we have purchased a paraffin fridge for the medical needs which include malaria and HIV/AIDS medication. We would like to thank the people of Jersey for this invaluable assistance, where the men can be treated and lives can be saved.

Male ward under construction                       paraffin fridge containing medication

There are many more villages that have no schools or health centres. The Butterfly Tree aims to offer others the same opportunity as Katapazi, which has enabled these vulnerable children to receive a sound education and given access to improved health facilities for an entire community.

The Butterfly Tree, although primarily a humanitarian charity, believes that supporting enviromental issues will enhance our programs and improve the areas where we work. We are currently seeking funding to build an Eco-toursim Centre in Mukuni Village. This will include planting millions of trees; many forests have been depleted due to the indingenous people’s dependency on wood. Trees are cut to build houses, make charcoal for cooking and in the use of curio making, the communities main source of income.

Stagnant drinking water: young Mukuni boys drink this bacteria infected water 

We will be working with African Community Project, founded by Canadian Garry Brooks, who will manage the project. This is an exciting time for Mukuni, the Chiefdom is progressing and the area around the Victoria Falls is rapidly developing in toursim. The Eco-Tourism Centre will create employment and education for the local people with the aim of attracting international volunteers to attend the program, where a lodge will accomodate the visitors.

Every level of community has to do its bit to help with climate change, planting trees is one of the best ways we see fit for Mukuni Village. Global warming badly effects these vulnerable communities, mosquito-borne diseases are increased and this area is prevelant in malaria. To commerate Zambian Independence and acknowledge International Day of Climate Change we are joining forces with Basement Crew, a group of Zambian DJs who work in London. Tonight they are appearing at a 45th Zambian Independance Day Celebration and will appeal to all Zambians worldwide to help tackle the Africa malaria problem that effects millions of their families and friends in Zambia.

The Zambian government’s policy is to provide mosquito nets for all pregnant women and under-five children. However during my recent visit to Mukuni I found that there was a huge shortfall, when asked to deliver these nets to certain villages less than half of the required amount had been provided. HIV/AIDS sufferers are also vulnerable and need protection. Working with our NGO team on the ground we are determined to supply these remote communities with additional nets before the heavy rains make the villages inaccessible. 

Malaria at Mukuni: These young children need protection against this disease

This week I attended a Philanthropy Forum in London, listening to some of Briton’s biggest charity donors, including Sir Richard Branson tell us how they are tackling major issues such as global warming, poverty HIV/AIDS and malaria. Though there is tremendous support from international governments and wealthy donors I see very little filtering through to the rural villages such as  Mukuni. The Butterfly Tree supports a malaria program at Mukuni Health Centre by providing mosquito nets, malaria testing kits and education workshops. Please help us save lives by donating just £3 to purchase a mosquito net.

Driving around the remote villages I frequently come across an orphan who has dropped out of school through lack of funds or a child who needs hospital treatment; again we were able to send a number of children to Livingstone Hospital. I was joined once more by Professor Doug Saunders from Sydney University accompanied by his wife, Margie and Karen Lytle from Arizona; their support was invaluable. Due to issues in the public health sector Mukuni clinic has not received any government funding for six months. I was informed by the district health officer without The Butterfly Tree’s medical supplies and funding, boosted by generous support from Saga Charitable Trust, the centre would be closed down. In addition there was no water for four days until we repaired the leaking tank and underground pipe work preventing an outbreak of disease.

On a happier note my sons, Mike and David did a terrific job raising funds through Facebeook to build four community houses for the elderly and widows with orphans. Accompanied by Martin, one of our team members, they drove endless journeys to remote villages to collect poles, grasses, mud and water. With temperatures soaring to 36 degrees they toiled daily until all four were completed.

The Butterfly Tree Community House        Baby Jane first baby born at maternity clinic

Our biggest project underway is at Katapazi Village, where we are building a 1x 3 classroom block; this will enable the school to upgrade and take in more pupils. A bore hole was added, one of three recently funded by Just a Drop and W Foundation. We are also making improvements to Katapazi clinic, adding a male ward, pit-latrines, solar panels and a paraffin fridge. This is being achieved through a grant received from Jersey Overseas Aid Commission. In the forthcoming year we aim to upgrade the schools of Siamasimbi and Kamwi, open a new school at Mandandi and a pre-school at Machenje.

New Katapazi classroom block                     Play Pump at Katapazi School

While visiting the six schools we are supporting I was dismayed to learn that the daily porridge, normally provided by the World Food Program, has not been forthcoming for several months. This means that many children are walking long distances to school and have to wait until supper before receving any nourishment. We are currently providing a feeding program at Mukuni for 350 children, funded by Cunninghams and have recently set up another one at Siamsimbi. Our intention is to supply porridge and beans to all these schools and provide them with seeds so they can grow vegetables and eventually become self-sustaining.

Although I love every part of my work as always The Butterfly Tree pre-school, totally funded by Gardiff,  holds a special place in my heart. Listening to these chlidren singing songs in English and acting out rhymes is a sheer joy to watch. We now have 245 young children and the number is growing, which means we must strive to provide more of these invaluable pre-schools to enable early education.

The Butterfly Tree pre-school at Mukuni      Ngandu pre-school

Education is the key and our orphan sponsorship program gives many pupils, who would otherwise have had to drop out, a chance to remain at school.  Obviously the more we expand our support to other schools more donors are needed to sponsor an orphan. We are aiming to complete the Mukuni High School science laboratory in the next few months, this will allow the orphans to complete grade 12 with all the neccessary qualifications. Three philanthropic travelers joined me from the US - Karen Lytle, Margret Bax and Casey Short who generously donated their time and funds to improve the education at Mukuni. In December the first high school leavers will be seeking career opportunities, with your support and sponsorship they now have prospects to improve their situation. Many, many thanks to everyone for supporting The Butterfly Tree and the children of Zambia. To see more photos of happy smiling faces go to the Photo Gallery and hear the Mukuni school choirs singing on Youtube.

Jane Kaye-Bailey

Founder & Chairman

David & Mike with a Mukuni Widow            Widow with two orphans in her new home

Assisting the local builders - firstly Mike and David collected poles and grasses from the remote villages of Kamwi and Machenje, then the mud had to be dug from an area outside Mukuni and the water fetched from the nearest bore holes. Each house was built in stages, the poles were put into the ground, next the erecting of the roof poles, then the expert thatchers got to work - each house needed eighty bundles of straw.

Mike unloading grasses                               David carrying water

Traditionally the women add the mud to the walls, which has to be mixed with gallons of water. Ladies from the local church took part donating their earned income to the church. The final stage was to put in the floor and paint the outside of the walls. It took two days to complete each house and thanks to everyone’s generous donations and Mike and David’s hard work four families in Mukuni are now enjoying the comforts of their new homes.

The Butterfly Tree’s community houses cost £400 to build.

Joining me are two volunteers from Australia, Professor Doug Saunders and his wife who will be working at Mukuni Health Centre for two weeks besides setting up a program to send medical students to assist at the clinic and Livingstone Hopital. Casey Short and Margaret Bax from Oregon State will be volunteering their professionsal skills to help Mukuni Basic School and The Butterfly Tree community projects. We now have a representative in the US, Frank Maiolo who visited Mukuni some years ago has been sponsoring a number of orphans through the charity.

Young girl from Mukuni

With so much need it is often hard to prioritise, the basis of our work is for the benefit of the orphans and vulnerable children ensuring that they receive an education, safe water and food. Besides Mukuni Village we are working in several other schools and supporting 210 children in education. Currently we building a new classroom at Katapazi thanks to JOAC we are also upgrading their clinic. In the forhtcoming year we aim to upgrade Kamwi Basic and Simamsimbi Basic Schools. With the generous offer of a bore hole at Kamwi, to be donated by Just a Drop we have managed to provide safe, clean water for all the schools we are supporting.

No doubt when I arrive at Mukuni there will be more children who have been orphaned in the past few months. Education is the only way these vulnerable people will overcome the devastation caused by the HIV/AIDS in Zambia pandemic. You can sponsor an orphan for just £8 per month or £95 (US150) per annum and make a difference to someone’s life.

AIDS children at Kamwi Village                   Orphan sponsorship at Mukuni

The Butterfly Tree’s aim is to assist these AIDS children by providing improved education and health facilities and safe, clean drinking water. Without these essentials in place there is little hope for the future of these vulnerable children. It is not only the poor that have been affected but many in the public sector and agriculture, causing a weakening in the economy. Young women and children are most at risk, prior to the HIV/AIDS pandemic ’street children’ were virtually unheard of in Zambia now there are thousands of AIDS children roaming the street, begging for food and shelter. Widows are also at high risk, having no source of income leads them to using sex to earn money to feed their children. “AIDS may kill me in months or years, but hunger will kill me and my family tomorrow” is believed to be said by women in Zambia.

How can we help? The Butterfly Tree is working at grass root levels with the local health and education authorities and raising awareness both in the UK and globally to help the world fight against HIV/AIDS. We have a number of projects including workshops and voluntary testing, feeding programs to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child replacing breastmilk with formula and an orphan sponsorship program.

HIV/AIDS support group & under fives feeding program - sponsored by The Butterfly Tree

How can you help? Sponsor an orphan can give a child an edcuation and a chance to make a difference. Donating to one of our projects in water, education or health improvements is invaluable. We are currently doing an appeal to fund community houses for widows and orphans in Mukuni Village; my two sons are joining me in Zambia next month to build these homes. No doubt there will be many more orphans in need of support since my last visit. Your generosity can give these AIDS children the chance in life they are worthy of.

Life for an orphan is tough, having to depend on a guardian or an elderly grandparent to provide accomodation and food is particularly difficult. These children have mainly been orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS in Zambia pandemic. School is their only hope, providing an education for these vulnerable children gives them a chance in life. Attending school is much more preferable than staying at home where there is nothing to do other than helping with the daily chores, fetching water, carrying wood and caring for their younger siblings.

Sponsor an Orphan: young children from Mukuni Village

The Butterfly Tree urges everyone to sponsor an orphan; whether you are an individual, company or school - for just £95 per annum or £8 per month a child can receive an educaton. We believe that every child has a right to education, something we take for granted in the west; there are thousands of African children who do not have this privilege. Our orphan sponsorship program is overseen by a group of female volunteers who source the most vulnerable children and oversee their welfare, we are currently sponsoring over 200 orphans who are benefitting from this program. To sponsor an orphan complete the form and donate using our secure online donation page.

A dwelling in Mukuni Village

Accomodation, in remote communities such as Mukuni Village, is primitive. A mud-hut dwelling for most, three huts for the more prosperous families - one a sleeping quarter for men, the other for women and young children and one for the kitchen. Sadly there are thousands of widows and orphans who have no income to repair or build new homes. The thatching, which should be done every five years, becomes neglected causing leaks during the rainy season, holes appear creating drafts in the winter months when the temperatures drop to below 4 degrees.

Homes for Mukuni: A new house built by The Butterfly Tree

Mike and David are appealing for everyone to donate just £3, the cost of one less pint of beer on a Saturday night! All the money will be used for the project, no deductions will be made. The result - secure, spacious and comfortable accommodation for a vulnerable family, which will last for many years. To make a donation Mike has created a page, ‘The Kayes get Physcial’, on Just Giving; alternatively you can make a donation on The Butterfly Tree website.

Victoria Falls - Zambia

For most visitors to Southern Africa it is a must, staying in hotels, such as Sun International’s Royal Livingstone and Zambezi Sun on the edge of the mighty Zambezi River, flowing some 2,200 miles from it’s source in Northern Zambia, finally reaching its destination in the Indian Ocean. In 1855 David Livingstone was the first European to discover the Victoria Falls, formerly know as the Mosi-oa-Tunya meaning the Smoke that Thunders, the name is still used by the local Leya people.

Zambezi River - the ‘Smoke that Thunders’ in the background

The Holy ground of the Victoria Falls region has been a place of worship to the Leya people for centuries. Bene Mukuni Kingdom is the permanent traditional headquarters of the Leya people. It is one of the largest of its kind in Africa and is unique in having two palaces, Lumpasa for the male ruler and Nanjina for the female co-ruler.  Every year the Lwiindi Ceremony takes place over the New Year period, this is The Cultural Feast of The Spray Ceremony of the Victoria Falls.

If you are visiting the Victoria Falls, please take time to visit Mukuni Village, where the The Butterfly Tree runs its organisation in Zambia. We fund a number of projects to support these gentle people who have suffered so much from the HIV/AIDS in Zambia pandemic, leaving thousands of children orphaned. If you would like to take a private tour around the school and the village please contact jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk

Working with the tourist industry to reduce world poverty, The Butterfly Tree was chosen as the official charity at the 2008 European Travel Distribution Summit, where we hosted a seminar on philanthropic travel and corporate social initiatives. We have recently been featured in Conde Nast Traveler and numerous tourists who have visited Zambia have offered support. All of these achievements have helped The Butterfly Tree to gain international recognition and increase awareness of the significant work we are doing in these remote communities.

The Zambian team is based in Mukuni Village close to the Victoria Falls and it is here where all the projects are initiated. They are an amazing group of people and I would like to thank them for their tireless efforts - the secretary who does a wonderful job of administering the charity, all of the committee and the ten female representatives who look after the welfare of the orphans. A special thanks to Chief Mukuni for his counsel and to the Bedyango, Chieftainess of Mukuni.

Although all the projects we fund are of great importance water is the most vital. Seeing people drinking from crocodile-infested rivers is very distressing; seeing the six new bore holes, four of them situated in schools, is a very humbling experience and has made a huge difference to the lives of over two and a half thousand children.

Supporting these developing countries, working with local authorities and increasing grass root projects, is crucial. Zambia has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world; Africa malaria is another of the serious diseases. This year the World Health Organisation selected Zambia as a role model after seeing a 66% reduction in malaria mortality during the last decade. Other major problems are TB, malnutrition, lack of safe water, poor health and education facilities. Poverty is the cause of most of these issues as 64% of the population is living on less than fifty pence a day.

Our most challenging project this year is to extend the health centre and school at Katapazi, some two hour drive from Mukuni. A male ward will be added to the clinic and a new classroom for older school pupils up to grade nine. As always, children remain the focal point of our work and the number of HIV/AIDS orphans is still far too high. Although we are currently supporting two hundred, we need many more people to sponsor an orphan. All our programs are for the benefit of these vulnerable children. They are the future and by educating them they are the ones who can make a considerable difference. Many of the orphans will be involved in the sustainable projects we are setting up with the schools.

This has been the Butterfly Tree’s finest year to date both in fundraising in achievements. However I feel I cannot fail to mention the period in November which shook all of us when Lawrence Bailey, my late husband, was tragically killed in a helicopter accident. He was a great support to both me and the charity and gave generously both his time and money. An astounding £7500 was donated to The Butterfly Tree in Lawrence’s memory.

I sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to the growth and success of the charity this year, regrettably too many to mention individually, though each has helped us to achieve our aims. My thanks to the volunteers in the UK, to those who have travelled from England, USA and Australia to work at the schools and clinic, and to the medical companies who have donated valuable supplies. I would like to welcome Miranda de Freston to the board of trustees and thank her for providing and hosting the website, attracting a huge number of global followers. All the support we have received has given us the resources to equip these remote communities with the essentials in life that so many of us take for granted – water, food, health and education.

View the full Charity Annual Report Here

Jane Kaye-Bailey

Chairman

Most African children like others from developing countries do not receive birthday or Christmas gifts and in the orphanges a number of them don’t even have a date of birth, their ages have to be estimated. It is important to make our children understand that not every child is as priviliged as they are and to teach them to realise that for some safe, clean water and food are gifts, commodities that we all take for granted.

African Children: 3 young girls from Mukuni

We now have several schools supporting The Butterfly Tree. Seeing how responsive these pupils are after talking to them and showing photos of the Mukuni makes me realise that every school should support a charity of some kind; linking with a school in a remote village of Zambia is both educational and rewarding. It takes little effort: a non-uniform day could raise money to sponsor an orphan or provide much needed educational supplies. Having a cake stall as did our village school which brought in £210 for an orphan and school materials. One school is currently raising funds for bicycles, while another is providing special needs equipment for Mukuni Basic School.

Whether you are a pupil, teacher or a parent try to get your school involved and join the list of schools already supporting The Buttlerfly: Wolverton Primary, Marston Green Primary, St. Alban’s Primary, Fountaindale Specialist SEN, Arden School. If your school would like to sponsor an orphan you can give a child an education and make a difference to someone’s life.

Special Needs for Mukuni: Idrin Gani is disabled and now rides a donkey to school 

Fortunately thanks to two generous offers The Butterfly Tree is now able to set up a new program for these disadvantaged pupils at Mukuni Basic School. St. James’ Place Foundation has given us a generous donation to purchase materials and equipment, after one of their partners and his wife visited Zambia. 

Leonnie Mangan who works for Fountaindale School in Mansfield, a Specialist SEN  School and the largest in the UK, volunteered to go out to Mukuni with her sister in July 2008. Working on behalf of The Butterfly Tree they assisted at Mukuni Health Centre and school. After seeing how little funding the special education teacher had to run her classes, on her return home Leonnie got her own school involved. Fountaindale have offered to provide some of the essential books and materials and are currently looking into setting up a teachers’ exchange program. The children at this school have also raised funds, one little boy who has to be intranenously fed said that he’d like to raise funds so that the African children could have some nice food.

This is a great boost for Mukuni. The Butterfly Tree is also raising funds to purchase donkeys to transport the disabled children who are unable to walk to school. If anyone would like to donate a donkey the cost is £70.

Zambia is in Sub-Sahara Africa where 265 million people are hungry, many relying on food aid. In the past twelve months The Butterfly Tree has provided bore holes to four schools and two villages in Mukuni now we need to use that water to develop agriculture and for the communities to grow food so that they can become sustainable. I hear sad stories of African Children unable to walk the long distance to school due to lack of food, pupils who are lethargic in class and have actually seen a number of them fall asleep over their desks. I recently met a mother with twins who had walked three miles to the clinic, the infants were suffering from malnutrition, she hadn’t eaten for twenty-four hours having no money to buy a bag of ground maize. They are now receiving aid through our under fives feeding program.

Food for Mukuni - mother & twins no longer suffering from hunger

More feeding programs are needed until these communities can become sustainable, a difficult task with ever increasing costs, floods and elephants destroying crops. The Butterfly Tree is currently providing a feeding program, sponsored by Cunninghams, for over 500 vulnerable and orphaned children at Mukuni Basic School. We have just commenced a second program at Siamasimbi Basic School. Each day the pupils are given a nutritional meal of Nshima (ground maize), meat or dried fish (kapenta) and vegetables.

Feeding programs like this one at Mukuni needed for more schools

We are seeking micro-financing so that groups of widows, schools and communities can grow crops, produce goats and chickens for meat and eggs, fish farming and fruit trees.

The Butterfly Tree provides funds for an under fives’ feeding program, the first to be initiated in Zambia. We provide formula to replace breast milk in mothers who are HIV positive, preventing mother to child transmission and this has also encouraged more women to come forward to be tested. Unfortunately formula is very expensive therefore we are looking into goat rearing to produce milk, mothers who have benefitted from our program are keen to get a sustainable income to provide HIV funding to help others in the same situation.

HIV funding: Two young boys from Kafekwa on the under fives’ feeding program

The Tusolwe Lwangunko HIV/AIDS Support Group Zambia, is run by a group of volunteers providing workshops, voluntary testing and sensitization programs. They rely on support from The Butterfly Tree to provide HIV funding and we have bought them goats to give them a sustainable generating income. I have worked with these people, they do an amazing job, based at Mukuni Health Centre, covering a vast area of the Chiefdom, encouring the communities to be tested and remove the stigmatism, the work is invaluable and we need to be able to expand on this.

HIV funding: HIV positive mother proudly presents her healthy baby

The most devastating is the number of AIDS orphans, over 400 in Mukuni alone and many more in surrounding villages. The only way to overcome the problem is to provide education for the children and teenagers. I believe they are the generation who could make the change. In Zambia the longevity is 34, they need our help to prevent them losing the next generation. By educating the pupils about the dangers of HIV and AIDS they will have a chance. We provide TMEs educational DVDs in each of the schools we operate and have distributed copies all over the nation. To help us educate these children you can, help via our orphan sponsorship scheme, for only £95 per annum (£8 per month).

Of all our programs supporting the HIV projects, education is one of the most essential, without this none of our other projects can be effective. We need to operate in more clinics, spread more awareness and provide more HIV funding to reach out to these rural people.

Milestone for charity: Mukuni and Ng’andu pupils supported by The Butterfly Tree

From Hawaii to Australia our supporters are helping us to make a difference. Individuals, schools, corporates and trusts have supported The Butterfly Tree in our fight against world poverty. Worldeka is a collaborative platform designed to help you connect and create change and I am thrilled to say that we have just won a camcorder for our dynamic profile page on their website. Although Twitter and Facebook are great for social networking, Worldeka is the social network with a conscious bringing together people who are interested in charitable causes. You can hear the Mukuni children singing on Youtube.

Daily I am receiving offers of support from the likes of Kabaso who sell curios from Zambia donating all their profits to the charity, tour operators such as Exquisite Safaris who take philanthropic travelers to visit our projects at Mukuni, schools wishing to raise funds for the African children and individuals who want to sponsor an orphan. All of this means that we can spread our work to other remote communities in Zambia.

Siamasimbi: providing health care supported by the charity

Our website is attracting donors from all over the globe, thanks to the dedicated work of Miranda De Freston of Juggle Frogs donating the website and her time to improve the networking of The Butterfly Tree. We welcome Miranda onto our board of Trustees and Leonnie Mangan who is setting up a program for special needs children at Mukuni Basic School, has joined our team and Mary Luckman and Ann Sutton have volunteered to help with the administration. 

Much more needs to be done and there are many ways you can now help us reach half million pounds. Use everyclick the search engine, every time you click it rasies money for charity and currently you have the chance to win a Fiat 500 while raising money for The Butterfly Tree. Buy Once give Twice the charity auction site where you can add tickets, unwanted gifts or holiday accommodation and donate to the chartiy. Join us on Cleversquirrel and raise money for The Butterfly Tree, without you haivng to give any new money. Buying and selling on ebay for charities, take part in a sporting activity or get involved with one of our projects at Mukuni; anything however small can help us make a difference.

We are delighted that The Butterfly Tree is growing and still receiving funds despite the global crisis, thank you to everyone who has supported us. Zambia like many developing countries has been badly affected by the west’s problems; these rural communites need our charity - help us reach the next milestone!

Homes for Mukuni: a dwelling in Mukuni Village

The Butterfly Tree’s community housing project provides substantial mud huts with a concrete floor for the most vulnerable. Using local builders a construction can be erected for just £400 and can comfortably sleep up to four people. One woman in Mukuni Village told me that when she lies down in her new home she thinks that she must be dreaming. To date we have built over 30 of these houses but need many more . This is the time of year when the grasses are ready for gathering, old roofs can be rethatched to keep the huts dry in the rainy season.

The Butterfly Tree community house

Providing a new home for a widow with young children or an elderly person who has no one to care for them can give them hope and a better chance of surving the cold winter months. A mattress at £20 and a blanket for £10 is an added bonus.

African children are tough. From an early age they have to fetch water, help with the chores and look after their younger siblings. They have no choice of what they eat, their staple diet in countries like Zambia is maize; typical daily meals are porridge made from mealie meal (ground maize) for breakfast, sheema (ground maize resembling unseasoned mash potato) with vegetables for lunch and for supper more sheema, salad and ground nuts, the latter being their main source of protein. Only families who have a good income can afford eggs, chicken or bread; with two thirds of the population living on less than 50 ($1 dollar) a day, these items are a luxury. Too many African children have to suffice on one meal a day, when I first set up the charity one of our initial projects was to provide a daily nutritional meal at Mukuni Basic School to feed vulnerable children.

African children walk long distances to school through bush, crossing elephant paths and rivers. I actually drove to one area where children set off at 4am to get to Mukuni High School for 7pm often having no breakfast until they reach school. For this reason many younger children are unable to be educated until they are old enough to walk several miles a day. Zambian education is something they all love, they are eager to learn and enjoy going to school, it gives them hope and a chance to better their lives and support their families in the future.

African women make loving and caring mothers, and are very protective towards their offsprings. African children are generally well diciplined both at home and at school. They support one another especially in the rural villages, where families are extended to accommodate the numerous orphans of AIDS. It is heartbreaking for mothers having to cope with so many illnesses and diseases: malaria, HIV/AIDS, aliments that cannot be cured and no money to send their children for treatment. The Butterfly Tree funds operations, medication and physiotherapy for children at Mukuni Health Centre.

Despite the terrible hardships African children have to endure they can always manage to smile. Sponsor an orphan and make a difference to the life of  these aids children. It costs only £95 ($160) or £8 per month.

Mukabalenga was one of the first orphans in Zambia to be on The Butterfly Tree orphan sponsorship program and writes the following letter to her sponsor:

“It’s really beyond human understanding for me to have this opportunity of writing this letter to you, hope and trust all is well with you, as for me not so bad. I really appreciate your support, I don’t how I can express my appreciation. You are playing an important role in my life such as that I cannot think of my dead parents. I don’t have much to say only words of thanks dwelling in my heart.” 

Orphans in Zambia: Mukabalenga Siachanane at Mukuni Basic School

By paying for the orphans’ schooling, which covers school and exam fees, books, uniforms, shoes and school bag someone in the villages will accommodate them. This way the orphans do not have to be sent to the orphanages in Livingstone. Often it pushes the guardians further below the poverty line but at least the orphans are able to remain at the school with their friends, the teachers are very generous some of them having as many as five orphans living with them. Presley Mulenga, Head Teacher at Mukuni Basic School has five of his own chilren plus seven orphans living with he and his wife in his two-bedroomed house. The Butterfly Tree offers a daily feeding program to orphans in Zambia, sponsored by Cunninghams, to over 500 vulnerable children providing them a nutritional meal in addition to their morning porridge.

It costs only £95 ($150) to sponsor orphans in Zambia, alternatively £8 per month. I believe that every child has a right to education. Many more like Mukabalanga urgently need your help. To find out more visit our orphan sponsorship page. See the orphans singing with the choir on Youtube.

Katapazi is a remote village in the Mukuni Chiefdom, over thirty miles from Livingstone and some twenty miles off the Lusaka Road travelling through bush using dirt tracks. The school and clinic has a catchemnt of 5400 people and has very little help from the outside world. When I first visited Katapazi in February 2008 I discovered that they had no electricity and one bore hole for the community and school to share. Through Just a Drop and W Foundation we have added a bore hole solely for the school, which gives them an opportunity to grow food for their feeding program.

Katapazi: Basic School pupils                          Elizabeth, health centre midwife

Now with a grant form Jersey Overseas Aid we have commenced building a 1×2 classroom block, enabling the school to upgrade to grades eight and nine as there is a high drop out rate after grade seven. The children have to walk several miles to school most of them without shoes. We will also include desks and chairs in addition to four pit-latrine toilets for the pupils and staff.

The funding will include and extention and improvements to the clinic, run by a midwife and her community-trained helpers. There is no male ward and the nearest hospital at Zimba is a thirty mile walk from Katapazi, resulting in unnessary deaths. Solar panels, a fridge and equipment will also be provided. The communty’s contribution to the project is making bricks, providing building materials and labour and The Butterfly Tree will train them in sustainability, HIVand AIDS in Zambia awareness, water and community projects.

Katapazi: Basic School choir                                  Basic School football team

Katapazi like Mukuni is an extremely poor village and has a large number of orphans. If you would like to sponsor an orphan it is £95 per annum or £8 per month. Visit Youtube and see the Katapazi choir singing and the boys playing football with bare feet using a ‘bag and string’ football.

The tourist industry has a huge market in developing countries and must be prepared to give something back to the communities they are operating in. Besides providing jobs for local people, safe clean water and medical care is also extremely important. Many community bore holes have been drained as a result of golf courses being watered! Over sixty per cent of hoteliers worldwide do not participate is social corporate initiatives. The Butterfly Tree has partnered with Sun International Zambia where their community programs support orphanges, a hospice and sustainable businesses for vulnerable people.

Philanthropic Travel: Mukuni Pre-school funded by a tourist

Zambia’s tourism is rapidly developing, Livingstone is the capitol of tourism and  The Butterfly Tree is working with tour operators such as Exquisite Safaris, pioneers in philanthropic travel and local lodges such as Stanley Safari Lodge who through their clients raise funds for Mukuni Basic School. If you are a tour operator or hotelier working in the area ensure that you are helping the community and if you are visiting the Victoria Falls spare a couple of hours to go to Mukuni Village and see a cultural way of life, for many it is the highlight of their entire trip. Giving something back is both rewarding and beneficial to those in need, join our cause to reduce world poverty by making a donation.

The Butterfly Tree is currently supporting six schools in the Mukuni Chiefdom but we need more classrooms to upgrade these schools so that the children do not have to spend too many hours of their day walking. We are currently raising funds for a Science block at Mukuni to complete our high school project. Ngandu has been able to upgrade to grades 8 and 9 as a result of the charity renovating an old classroom, last month we have commenced develoment at Katapazi school. 

 Mukuni Education  classroom in need of restoration

Now we needs funds for Kamwi and Siamasimbi two remote schools that receive no other support from the outside world. Siamasimbi becomes inaccessable during the rainy season therefore is is imperative to develop the school. We insist on community participation by asking the villages to make bricks, provide river sand and fetch water; the government provides the teachers therefore we also need to source funds for teachers’ houses.

Education is the key to developing these rural schools, building classrooms, providing safe, clean water and feeding programs. Sponsor an orphan and give a vulnerable child a chance in life.

The Butterfly Tree supports Africa Malaria programs by providing malaria testing kits for Mukuni Health Centre and Katapazi Health Centre. Despite the Zambian government’s efforts there is always a shortfall. By topping up this vital supply of malaria testing kits more lives can be saved. Pregant women, babies and HIV/AIDS sufferers are particularly vulnerable. My first involvement at Mukuni back in March 2006 was to see a woman recovering from malaria as a result of our support. Zambia has the most deadly and most common form of malaria - Plasmodium falciparum, treatment is available once diagnosis has been obtained. 

World Malaria Day supports young Mukuni boy vulnerable to malaria

For World Malaria Day The Butterfly Tree is making an appeal on Touch Radio, Twitter and Facebook to ask everyone to donate just £1 to purchase a malaria testing kit. Your donation could save somone’s life.

 Africa malaria: A baby recovering from Malaria at Mukuni Health Centre

Zambia has a population of less than 12 million people and yet there were 4.7 million cases of malaria reported in 2006. Malaria in Africa is the biggest killer and 75% of people worldwide who die as a result of malaria are children under the age of five mostly in sub-Sahara Africa. The latest report from WHO announced today states that Zambia has achieved a major reduction in malaria mortality by 66% and will be promoted for other countries to follow.

While there are four types of parasites that can cause malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum is by far the most deadly and common, particularly in Zambia. Once a person is bitten by a P. falciparum-carrying mosquito, the parasite grows, multiplies, and undergoes a series of complex life cycle changes that allow it to evade the immune system and infect the liver and red blood cells. Malaria disease caused by P. falciparum may result in death within hours or a few days of infection especially in those with low immunity such as children, pregnant women, people with AIDS (not necessarily HIV carriers), and travelers from areas with little or no malaria. Malaria can also result in miscarriage in pregnant women, low birth-weight infants, developmental disabilities, and other complications.

Africa Malaria Prevention

Team preparing to spray every mud hut in Mukuni - October 2008

The Zambian government has a strategy in place to control malaria and aimed to ensure that at least 80% sleep under Insecticide-treated nets by the end of 2008. They are doing a tremendous job but working in African remote villages I often learn that at least three children have to fit under one net. The other problem is that there are never enough testing kits, early diagnosis is crucial, each time I visit Mukuni Health Centre their supply has depleted. The Butterfly Tree raises awareness and funds to assist this vital progam by providing malaria testing kits and mosquito nets. Saga Charitable Trust have given generously to our efforts. World Malaria Day is April 25th please donate a £1 and save someone’s life and help the Africa Malaria prevention and treatment efforts.

Another family who I took to Mukuni during the same month gave a donation to the health centre, funded a bore hole, sponsor five orphans and offering on going support to the charity. All the visitors to Mukuni are touched by the people and their enduring hardships and are endeared to see that they still manage to smile. The importance of giving back to a community is invaluable, sitting round the pool of a five star hotel or playing on a golf course gives employment to local people but donating a bore hole gives their families safe clean water, a chance to improve their health, grow vegetables and gives them a chance to become sustainable.

In March we had great fun distributing the 2000 t-shirts and shorts donated by a group of tourists, through Nakker International, who visited Mukuni earlier in the year.

New T-shirts for Mukuni children

It is a mutual benefit for both the traveller and the people in these developing countries. Anyone visiting the Victoria Falls can visit Mukuni Village and see The Buttefly Tree at work, many have said it was the highlight of their travels to Southern Africa. Philanthropic travel can make a difference to someone’s life, through our orphan sponsorship program you can make a difference to their entire community.

Lillian Mwandila has lost both her parents and is eleven years old. She lives with her grandmother and four other orphans in a tiny mud hut in the middle of Mukuni Village. She was on our orphan sponsorship list awaiting a donor along with 59 orphans who I met last month. Now she has been offered an amazing opportunity thanks to Paul who will shortly be visiting Zambia, to not only obtain a full education at Mukuni but the rare opportunity to go on to University. Why was Lillian selected from such a long list when they are all vulnerable? The Butterfly Tree team in Zambia spent two days talking to teachers, visiting homes and scrutinising the orphans before they made their selection. Lillian proved to be the most needy with a clever mind, someone who hopefully will prosper from this wonderful offer and gain knowledge to assist her community in the future.

Lillian Mwandila from Mukuni Village

My new donor didn’t stop there after further conversations Paul wanted to fund five community houses, one of which I suggested went to Lillian’s family and he also offered extra funds for the other orphans living with her. After talking about the shortage of food and our successful feeding program at Mukuni Paul has also offered to start one at Siamasimbi School. Overnight Paul realised the importance of philanthropic travel, giving something back to the community he is visiting.

In the midst of all our doom and gloom due to the global crisis, do we stop and think just how much all the developing countries are suffering? Now one man’s kindness has given a boost to the charity funds and hope for a young Zambian girl. You too can get involved with our orphan sponsorship program and help Zambian children like Lillian.

This is what happens in Mukuni and many areas that have been affected by HIV and Aids in Zambia. People are so poor that a great number only eat one meal a day, comprising of ground maize, vegetables and ground nuts. Chicken, bread, rice, eggs and milk are all luxuries. To help overcome this problem The Butterfly Tree provides a daily feeding program for Mukuni schools sponsored by Cunninghams. Over 500 children receive a daily nutritional meal, vital for the growth and development of any child.

Sweets a rare treat for Mukuni children

Now we need sponsors for the other schools in the Mukuni Chiefdom: Kamwi, Ngandu, Siamasimbi and Katapazi. Not only are the school children hungry, during my last visit I met a young woman from Machenje Village, she had brought her twins to Mukuni Health Centre to be weighed having walked the three miles from her home. The infants were fourteen months old, both suffering from malnutrition, the mother had no milk to feed her babies. She told me she hadn’t eaten since the day before.

The Butterfly Tree funds an under fives feeding program to replace breast milk in mothers who are HIV positive, transmission of the disease is then prevented. Unfortuantely formula in Zambia is very costly therefore we are introducing goats milk, a high source of nutrition and a way of providing a sustainable income to the milk produces. Women who have benefited from the program have voluntered to help with the running of this. These feeding programs are essential for the develpoment of children who are the future of Zambia.

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.

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.

Our efforts have much improved the health facilities at the Mukuni Health Centre though there are many patients who are referred to Livingstone hospital and cannot afford the transport. We have started a new program to assist four children a month who need hospital care. Idrin Gani had ostemyelitis when she was just two years old; leaving her limping and disabled. Nine years later the infection flared up again and when I found her the leg was covered in sores. Since October 2008 we have provided funds for an operation in Lusaka, weeks of treatment and physiotherapy. Now Idrin is back home in Chise happily enjoying school and life with her family.

 
Jane with Idrin and her mother                           Bore hole and pump for Siamasimbi School

The Butterfly Tree received donations amounting to £7000 in memory of my late husband Lawrence. His favourite project was the community houses for the elderly and vulnerable; these funds have been used to built six homes as well as purchasing beds for the maternity clinic and the restoration of a classroom at Ngandu School. The school has been able to upgrade to grades eight and nine, particularly beneficial for children who previously had to walk long distances to Mukuni.

  
Community House in Mukuni Village                    International Women’s Day celebrations

Tourists from the US have generously donated 2000 t-shirts and shorts through The Butterfly Tree for the children of the Mukuni Cheifdom. We are providing sewing machines and materials for the orphans to make school uniforms, enabling the school to be more sustainable. It was heartbreaking to see so many new orphans; sixty more children from the Mukuni school are desperately seeking sponsors to pay for their education. We are currently supporting over 150 orphans, working to provide them with a future and teaching them the dangers of HIV/AIDS, how to avoid getting pregnant and health and hygiene. Please continue this vital funding for the orphan sponsorship program ,your help is greatly appreciated by both the charity and the orphans. We are currently raising funds for a Science lab at Mukuni High School to complete our project, until this is build the pupils have to sit costly external examinations - any contritbutions would be most welcome!

On the 8th March I hosted a day at Mukuni Village to celebrate International Women’s Day. Twelve groups came from all the surrounding villages walking some walking for over two hours; lunch and drinks were provided by us and the women sang songs, performed dances and drama. It was a rare treat for these hard-working people, many of which are widowed and have several orphaned grandchildren to care for. These women have a very tough life, especially when ther husbands have died and in many cases their children as well leaving them to be the sole provider. We are setting up a project for women to produce goat’s milk, a good source of nutrition and can be used to replace breastmilk in HIV positive women. We are currently providing formula but this is very costly and not always available in Zambia. Just another of the problems they have to overcome. Our under five’s feeding program is vital to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to infant.

I am delighted to say that in three years we have achieved a great deal and much more than any other charity working in the Mukuni Cheifdom. As always a special thank you to everyone who has supported The Butterfly Tree and enabled us to carry out these worthwhile projects. The photos from this trip can be seen in our Gallery.

Warmest regards,

Jane Kaye-Bailey

Woman at Kakekwa drawing water from a stagnant pool

As always there are so many more villages needing help. Next month we will be starting a new project to expand both the clinic and school at Katapazi, a remote village some two hours drive most of it through the bush, from Mukuni. We are being given substantial funding to build four pit-latrine toliets and a new classroom to enable the school to upgrade so that children to not have to walk great distances to obtain a higher grade. At the clinic we are adding a new ward, beds, solar power and a fridge. The community will be freely providing labour to assist with these projects. The clinic is solely run by a midwife who has trained community workers to help her, once these improvements are made the government will offer additional medical staff. There are 5000 people who have access to this rural clinic.

The Butterfly Tree feeding program at Kafekwa Village

Once this is complete we need to source funds for an under five’s feeding program; during my last visit I learnt that many babies were suffering from malnutrition, several of them were critical. For mothers who are HIV positive is is essential that we provide formula to replace breastfeeding. By educating the women at Mukuni an increasing number are coming forward to be tested, more babies can be saved and to date no more infants are suffering from malnutrition. 

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.

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.

 
Mukabalengu at Mukuni Basic School

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

I sent her to Mukuni Health Centre to have the sores checked out; she had previously been the month before and given ointment which had no effect. The medical officer referred her to Livingstone hospital for an X-ray, where they discovered she had Osteomyelitis, an infection of bone or bone marrow. She was in a great deal of pain, put on a course of antibiotics and had to remain at Mukuni Health Centre until her fever had lessened. The outside temperature was 40 degrees, she and her mother had no money for food and were naturally very frightened; despite this whenever I visited Idrin she always had a smile on her face and never complained. She then had to live in Livingstone for several weeks to receive extensive physiotherapy before being sent to hospital in Lusaka.

Idrin with her mother at Mukuni Health Centre

Several months later having undergone an operation on her good leg to stop it growing longer than the other, Idrin is back in the village of Chise playing with her friends. She had been given a new pair of shoes one of which had to be raised. Had I not found Idrin and sent her to the clinic the infection would have been fatal. Even if she had gone to the clinic without my intervention her family would not have been able to pay for the lodgings, treatment and physiotherapy. The Butterfly Tree has paid for all her costs and the sympathetic doctor learning that she was a needy case performed the operation free of charge.