It is over five weeks since I returned from Zambia, so much more is happening that it looks as if we are in for another good year. I am overwhelmed by the offer of further support from existing and new donors, and delighted to report that The Butterfly Tree has won another award: The London & South East England Prestige Awards – ‘Youth Education Non-profit Organisation of the Year.’
In addition to this we have been selected as a finalist for the WATER AIR AND FOOD AWARDS in Denmark. The winner will receive a monetary prize, however we need to gather votes. We would be grateful if you could vote for us in the ‘FOOD‘ category by using this link: https://www.wafaward.org/vote/
After opening the link you will see ‘Voting is open‘ and underneath ‘Click here to register your Vote!’ You need to enter your email or mobile number and register, after which you will be able to vote for The Butterfly Tree! The request for your email or phone number is simply to prove you are a genuine voter.
The link below is a video of the project we submitted, produced and narrated by WAFA organisation:
Since writing April’s newsletter more progress has been made. A borehole at N’gandu Junior Secondary School in Mukuni Chiefdom was drilled though we had to drill to 140 meters to find water! This will provide 560 pupils with easy access to safe drinking water and for their vegetable gardens. This week one will be drilled at Malombe Primary School, where we have just started work on a 1×2 classroom block. Two further boreholes will follow.
During my visit to Zambia I was joined by the Murphy Family who has generously donated to the charity for several years. It was wonderful to be able to show them the projects they have funded at River View and Musokotwane Secondary Schools. The pupils, teachers and community, most especially at Musokotwane, gave them a memorable welcome. The family has kindly offered further support for the two schools. These advanced education facilities cater for over 2,000 pupils.
At the end of April, two of our Zambian NGO trustees were invited to visit the Blackpool Cup, an International Youth Football Tournament, for which The Butterfly Tree was selected as an official charity partner. Mupotola and Martin attended matches, presented trophies and gave interviews. They were taken to see the local sites, a tour of Liverpool Stadium and to watch a match between Blackburn and Luton, by one of our donors, Pepe’s Zambia-Football Foundation. The Blackpool Cup organisers asked teams if they would donate unwanted kit for school teams in Zambia, and all the footballs used at the tournament were donated to the charity.
A new health post, including a clinic, two staff houses, three toilets and a biodigester for waste, will be completed next week, thanks to a substantial grant from the Overseas Aid and Development Commission, Guernsey. The communities in Boombwe, a remote area of Mosokotwane, do not have access to a medical facility during the rainy season. The clinic will be used for general practice, antenatal and post natal, births, and for treament and prevention of HIV, and malaria. Funds for medical equipment and furniture are included in the grant, and The Butterfly Tree has added a solar-powered water reticulation system with a water storage tank.
As you can see we have a made a promising start to our new financial year. As always we are extremely grateful to all our donors, volunteers and fundraisers for their tremendous support.
Jane Kaye-Bailey
Founder
