This past week we have had the pleasure of two visitors from Mukuni – Reverend Presley Mulenga, Head Teacher of Mukuni Basic School and member of The Butterfly Tree and Thomas Chanda, their Special Education teacher. Hosted by Fountaindale Special Education School in Nottinghamshire the teachers attended classes, church meetings and social events. The school obtained a local grant to fund an exchange with the two schools and gave them an insight to education in the UK. Presley said ‘everything is so much more advanced than Zambian education’.

Mukuni teachers – Thomas & Presley visiting the Tower of London

Last year thanks to a grant from The Besom we were able to build a classroom for children needing Special Education. Prior to this there was very little hope for these vulnerable children. Stanley Safari Lodge have donated equipment, learning materials, furniture and toys to assist with the development of this class. Children with learning difficulties, ones who are partially sighted and ones with impaired hearing can now be taught in a happy and colourful enviroment. Thomas is an excellent teacher dedicated to improving the lives of these special pupils.

The charity funded physiotherapy for Joseph who has cerebral palsy

The last two days of Thomas and Presley’s visit were spent in Warwickshire and London. A whirlwind sight-seeing trip to the capitol, where my sons and I took them to virtually every major attraction, gave them an insight to a very different world to that of village life in Mukuni. It was a humbling experience for us most especially seeing them enjoy a variety of food so very different to the three meals of ground maize which is all their meagre salaries can afford.

Next month the two Fountaindale teachers are to visit Mukuni Village. Fountaindale also donated many items for the classroon and have vowed to set up an ongoing project to benefit both schools. We are very grateful for this support and found it an absolute pleasure having Presely and Thomas visit us.