Creating Sustainability for Health and Education

With several projects in outreach communities currently being developed I must again acknowledge our amazing team in Zambia for their continued dedication and commitment. As you are aware all of them are volunteers, which has created sustainability for The Butterfly Tree. Community driven projects are the best solution to help overcome dependency, which is always a challenge when working with international aid.

STAIN VOLUNTEER SINCE 2006 – MALARIA PREVENTION

MARTIN, MUPTOLA AND PRESLEY – FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE BUTTERFLY TREE, ZAMBIA

Twelve years down the line and our projects expand from Mukuni to Sekute, Musokotwane, Nyawa and Moomba Chiefdoms in the Kazungula District, a vast area in the Southern Province with over 70,000 population. We are currently developing five schools and a health centre, located in remote areas, each can take several hours to reach. Since the introduction of mobile network we can now communicate with teachers and PTA members who can oversee some of our projects and report back to us.

Once we have completed a school project, it is handed over to the Ministry of Education and community. Trained teachers are funded by the government and the community forms a PTA committee to create sustainability. We still offer support in terms of HIV and malaria prevention, and donations of school materials and clothing for orphans, but it is vital that the local people run the facility. With our help thousands more children are receiving a sound education.

NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK FOR SINGWAMBA PUPILS – NYAWA CHIEFDOM

The same applies when we build a health centre, like the new one at Sikaunzwe, thanks to grant aid from GOAC. Once the clinic, maternity ward, women’s shelter and latrines are completed then the facility will be run by skilled government medical staff and trained community workers. This way there is no ongoing cost to the charity and we can move on to new locations. We are also installing five boreholes in schools and villages in Nyawa and Sekute Chiefdoms, where WASH commitees will be formed to maintain the amenities.

NEW BOREHOLE FOR ZALU SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY

This month our young peer educators will help to build twelve community houses for widows and the elderly looking after orphans, eleven of these have been donated by Motive Real Estate, Texas. For every house the company sells, they donate one to the charity at a cost of £415 per house. The youth group will shortly be on a break from college and will earn a small income to help support their upkeep.

12 COMMUNITY HOUSES TO BE BUILT FOR WIDOWS AND ELDERLY LOOKING AFTER ORPHANS

Much of The Butterfly Tree’s success is because we use volunteers, which save us having to pay salaries. Our UK team all operate from their homes and rarely incur any expenses. I am delighted to say that during this past financial year we raised £226,773 and only 1.86% was deducted for expenses!

Jane Kaye-Bailey

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