The Butterfly Tree continues to make considerable progress in providing improved water, health and education facilities in Zambia. It is hard to believe that in 2023 people are still walking 10 miles to fetch drinking water and as many as 50 miles to seek medical care.

HEALTH – The fully equipped health post at Boombwe, in Musokotwane Chiefdom is now complete. Due to the remoteness and poor access, the drilling companies would not venture to this area. To overcome the issue we repaired the borehole at Boombwe school, installed a solar-powered water reticulation system with a submersible pump. After linking it to the health post, both facilities now have access to clean water. Below is a testimonial from the Senior Headman:

‘On behalf of the community, we would like to thank The Butterfly Tree. For Boombwe this donation is like a dream as we have been without such a facility for many years and had to walk long distances to seek medical care, for some it was 60km. This resulted in relatives losing loved ones and women giving birth along the way before they could reach a clinic. As a community we are very happy for what The Butterfly Tree has donated. All the problems we had, have now been solved.’

Sadly, the mortality rate of mother and child is still alarmingly high in rural areas. The new clinic will include a maternity section for women to safely deliver their babies as opposed to home births. We are delighted to have been awarded further grant aid for 2023 from the Overseas Aid and Development Commission of Guernsey. This is to build a health facility at Mabwa in Nyawa Chiefdom. The development, like the one at Boombwe, will include a clinic, two staff houses, a biodigester for waste disposal, toilets, and a water system.

MALARIA – Mosquito nets will also be given to school children at Boombwe and neighbouring schools, to protect them against malaria. A recent donation from the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs will pay for five hundred mosquito nets.

VOLUNTEERS – We are pleased to welcome international visitors back to see our projects in Zambia after their absence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two UK doctors who raise money, through Make a Medic a charity they initiated to provide medical students with educational resources volunteered in N’gandu. They spent a week working with our peer educators on HIV prevention and teenage pregnancies at the school. Through their organisation they gave a generous donation to build four homes for orphans, for the workshops, and for Maths textbooks.

The following week a group of American University students spent time at Mukuni, teaching pupils at the primary school. They kindly donated educational supplies, and bags of ground maize for the elderly.

EDUCATION – A new 1×2 classroom block is currently under construction at Malombe community school where we recently installed a borehole. Next month we will be adding a borehole and 1×3 classroom block for a school a community school at Katabuya. Pupils are being taught in mud and pole structures. Their drinking water comes from shallow wells as the nearest water source is 10km from the school.

ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP – We are extending our orphan sponsorship programme to help more children, who have lost one or both parents or who are vulnerable. Managed by Natasha, a former sponsored orphan, children from the following schools are being supported: Mukuni, N’gandu, Kamwi, Ndele, River View, Lumbo, Senkobo and Musokotwane.

Six students have recently completed skilled-based courses, five students are enrolled at university and four are attending college. Their courses include pharmacy, accountancy, engineering, teaching, journalism and nursing.

The special education class at Mukuni had a rare treat last week thanks to a donor offering to fund a party. A cake, snacks and drinks were shared with everyone, the music was playing and all of the children enjoyed dancing. The Butterfly Tree built a classroom to accommodate children with special needs in 2008, and has continued to support this vital facility with help from St James’s Place Foundation. Prior to this most children remained at home.

Thank you to everyone who voted for the WAFA awards, the entire procedure was complicated and lengthy and many said they had difficulty voting – we apologise for any inconvenience. We did not win the food category. However, much to our surprise we have won an Aquisition International Non-Profit Award, which was chosen by a panel of experts instead of having to reply on a voting system.
The Butterfly Tree voted – ‘Best Africa Focused Clean Water & Sanitation Provider 2023’ – UK

We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award and would like to thank all our donors who have supported our water and sanitation awards in Zambia since 2006. Not forgetting to thank supporters of our health, education and community projects, and most especially our orphan support programme. All of you have helped us to gain significant recognition for our work in Zambia, but more importantly our projects have improved the lives of thousands of orphans and vulnerable people.

Jane Kaye-Bailey

Founder