For the first time since February 2020 I travelled back to Zambia last month. Though I was apprehensive about the journey due to the increase in cases of COVID-19 in South Africa, once I stepped off the plane at Livingstone Airport my reservations melted away when I saw our NGO trustees – I was back in my ‘second’ home!
The welcome I received from our volunteers, school children, clinics staff, and the communities was so overwhelming that on several occasions it was difficult to hold back the tears. The warmth, friendliness and optimism of the Zambian people is intoxicating. After a year-long drought, immediately followed by the pandemic, the resilience of the these people is quite remarkable – despite all the hardships they never lose hope.
EDUCATION
It was wonderful to see how many more schools we have recently developed or expanded. The most impressive was Musokotwane High School, generously funded by The Murphy Family Foundation. We constructed a 1×3 classroom block, science lab, two boarding shelters and toilets. Pupils no longer have to rent rooms in the village, which can put girls at risk of falling pregnant or being enticed into early marriages. The school has doubled in numbers since the expansion, and the Foundation has kindly offered a further donation to build two teacher’s houses.
A classroom block at Chabalanda, also in Musokotwane Chiefdom, has recently been completed. An additional classroom block, constructed by our trained youth builders, at Kamwi Primary school has given the school the opportunity to upgrade. As of January 2023 grades 8 and 9 pupils will no longer have to walk the 9km to Mukuni High School.
Accompanied by Mupotola, Presley and Martin, I drove to Bunsanga school and clinic to see two more of our projects, after which we continued to the remote village of Mubuyu where our trained youth builders have constructed a classroom block. The journey was arduous – 80km from Livingstone to Zimba was an easy drive, but once I turned off the main road and drove beyond Nyawa, it was a different story – the tracks were bad! It took three hours to drive just 77km due to the rough terrain but the long and tiring journey was well worth the toil. The community members were so welcoming and could not thank us enough for our support, especially for providing the community with ground maize during the 2019/2020 drought.
I also visited River View, Senkobo, Kamwi and Ngandu schools to meet up with the orphans and vulnerable children on our orphan sponsorship programme. Sadly, I did not get chance to meet everyone as some lessons are staggered, but met many of them and also found new children in need of sponsorship.
We introduced our HIV prevention and Girl’s Empowerment programmes to more schools. Natasha, John and Austin, three former sponsored pupils who completed college and university, are managing these essential programmes which are definitely making an impact. We are also engaging youths in sport to keep them occupied at the weekends and during the holidays. Last month Scott McClure, a donor/volunteer, visited Zambia, donated football strips and equipment as well as supporting a football tournament organised by The Butterfly Tree in Zambia.
HEALTH PROJECTS
On arrival at Mukuni Rural Health Centre the Medical Officer came straight up to me to thank The Butterfly Tree for the donations of PPE during the pandemic. ‘Had it not been for your donations we would have surely lost some of our medical staff’.
COVID-19 numbers are currently low in Zambia but we will continue this vital support after learning that clinics struggle to purchase soap and hand sanitizing gel. Blooms the Chemist, Australia, send monthly donations to help Simonga, Bunsanga and Mambova rural health posts. A nurse at Simonga told me that the donated equipment had recently helped them to save the life of a baby who was breach!
The invaluable health post at Katondo, funded by the Guernsey Overseas Aid and Development Commission, has been completed and handed over to the Ministry of Health and the community.
As for malaria prevention – Moomba Chiefdom, having the highest prevalence of malaria in the District, received a consignment of safe insecticidal coating to paint on the inside of dwellings. In addition, we donated mosquito nets to young children in Mukuni and 1,000 nets to schools in the Ngwezi area.
Sadly, malaria cases have increased globally partly due to the delay in interventions caused by COVID-19. However, our ‘mosquito nets for schools’ project is proving to be highly effective in helping to reduce the number of malaria cases amongst pupils and teachers. Our aim is to raise more funds to protect children from this life-threatening disease.
WATER & SANITATION PROJECTS
The rainy season has now come to an end and no rain is expected to fall until November. In the past month The Butterfly Tree drilled boreholes at Simukombo, James Sichetema and Mabwe Schools, and Mukuni Village. The first school proved to be challenging due to it being a sandy area, I was even given an opportunity to test water divining! Water was eventually found at the second site, just as the sun was setting, at 60 metres. The borehole for Mukuni Village with an excess of 8,000 people will help to alleviate the water shortages in Namyola section.
FOOD & COMMUNITY PROJECTS
We continue to provide bags of ground maize to the orphans and children on our sponsorship programme. The rains this year were poor in the Southern Province and many crops perished.
Two of the women’s projects, generously funded by our Canadian partner, Give a Hand, are progressing well. ‘Mangoes of Hope’ will provide 200 women in Musokotwane with a sustainable income-generating enterprise. Mango produce, including dried mango, juice and jam will be sold commercially. When mangoes are not in season tomatoes will be grown.
‘Hope for a Better Future’ is in the final stage of development for 200 women in Sekute to rear chickens and grow vegetables.
A further donation from Motive Real Estate, Texas and one from a private donor for community housing, has funded new homes for orphans. Once permission is given to cut grass for thatching on July 1st more houses will be construced. June to August is winter in Zambia and the night temperature can drop to four degrees where many children are living in dilapidated mud huts. We also provide blankets for all the children who are being sponsored.
As always we are grateful to everyone who has supported our work in Zambia and to our wonderful local team who manage and monitor all of our projects. If you would like any further information on a specific projects please contact me via email: jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk
Jane Kaye-Bailey
Founder
