The Butterfly Tree orphan sponsorship program is currently sponsoring over 260 orphans and hundreds more need your help.

Photo: Some of the sponsored orphans at Mukuni

“The Butterfly Tree believes that every child has a right to be educated,” by sponsoring an orphan you can make this happen.

Orphan Sponsorship is just £95 ($160) per annum or £8 this covers school and exam fees, books, uniform, shoes and school bag. We do not deduct any administration fees. There are 710,000 orphans in Zambia and we are currently seeking people to sponsor an orphan from the rural villages of the Mukuni Chiefdom.

The orphans having lost either one or both parents are placed with families who already have too many dependents, pushing them further below the poverty line. Some have been orphaned more than twice. However the extended family, common in most Africa countries, prevents the children having to go into orphanages.

For the oprhans having lost their parents, mostly through HIV/AIDS or related illnesses, the most important part of their life is their education. In 2007 The Butterfly Tree opened a high school at Mukuni enabling the orphans to complete their education, previously most of them had to leave school after grade nine, as no funds were available to go to a boarding school. Despite walking great distances, some suffering from hunger these children are dedicated to their school work.

The orphans are carefully selected by a committee, made up of teachers, parents and PTA members who select the most ‘critical’ cases, many having dropped out of school. They are immediately reinstated into school once funding is in place. We have ten female volunteers who oversee the welfare of these vulnerable children. We provide a daily nutritional meal for these vulnerable children and support the healthcare at the clinic. When possible to donate bicycles to the children who live far from the school. The Butterfly Tree works with these orphans teaching them the dangers of HIV/AIDS, pregnancy prevention and how to help their community as well as including them in income generating activities for the school.

Here are few of the courageous orphans we are supporting with the help of their sponsors click image for more on individual orphans: