Peter Liyungu was the first orphan to be accepted on The Butterfly Tree orphan sponsorship program, some five years ago, when we first started operating in Mukuni Village back in 2006. At the time despite being very intelligent, Peter had lost interest in his education after loosing both parents and having no funds to continue. A sponsor was sought and this transformed his life; as there was no high school at Mukuni Peter wanted to go to boarding school and subsequently attended Zimba High. We are also sponsoring his younger brother Mishek.

I am delighted to say that after four years Peter has completed grade twelve and did exceedingly well in his exams.  In his own words Peter wished to thank his sponsors.

"It is my pleasure to show my gratitude and say thank you for opening up my life to a dream come true. You are my father and my mother who would have done the same if they were alive. It takes a strong sole to take up the work of someone else. I must let you know that I have made it through my senior secondary with 16 points which gives me the opportunity to apply for university. It is because of you that I have achieved this, your contribution to my education and my life in all was not in vain and once more thank you for making my dream come true."

This month most of us will be frantically buying presents and getting ready for the Christmas festivities. The stores are stacked with merchandise, delicious food and an abundance of drink and yet we still struggle to find that special present with a difference. One way to overcome this problem is to give a charitable gift and there are many ways this can be done. Each year hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of unwanted presents get tossed in the trash - money, time and effort all spent in vain.

If you want to find a worthwhile present, which not only offers pleasure to both the giver and the recipient, but can benefit a third party who is less fortunate, then you may like to consider one of the following options: Sponsoring an orphan in Zambia will provide an education for a child, donating a mosquito net could save a child’s life or build a house to accommodate an entire family. There are many other ways to help the orphans – donate funds for a bicycle for a child who has to walk a long distance to school, donate funds for a bag of maize for just $15 or donate a blanket for the cold winter nights for only $23.

For most Zambians the highlight of their Christmas Day will be going to church, very few will have a celebratory meal or exchange presents. Two thirds of the population lives on less than one pound per day – their stress is not brought on from deciding what present to buy their family members, but whether they will have enough n’shima (ground maize), vegetables and ground nuts to feed the whole family. One young boy, just fifteen years of age, from Mukuni, recently tried to take his life because he could no longer cope with being constantly hungry. Please give this a thought when you are filling your shopping cart – for the price of that extra bottle of wine you can help a child in need.

Education is the key to making the change. Through the orphan support program we have given hundreds of orphans an education. Many had dropped out of school due to lack of funds and to date we have sponsored over 400 individual orphans. In addition thousands more have been helped in fifteen schools throughout the Mukuni and Musokotwane Chiefdoms. We have build classrooms for mainstream and special education, teacher’s house, latrines and supplied vast amounts of stationery and equipment. 

Orphan Bright Siabenlengu

Orphan Chaton Sitali

Peter and Mishek

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree

Dear Friends of The Butterfly Tree,

During my recent visit to Zambia the nation’s general elections took place. With a change of government it is believed that Michael Sata, the new President, will increase aid to deprived areas and stamp out corruption. Although I never involve the charity in political matters, measures to improve health and education sectors need to be addressed. In the past five years I have seen a reduction in funding for  both rural schools and clinics, which have to rely more than ever on international aid for development. I came across a woman who had walked 37 kilometers, taking 13 hours, to reach Mukuni maternity clinic from Chuunga - she was nine months pregnant.

Thanks to substantial grant aid from the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission we are in the final stages of completing three new rural schools. The villages of Silelo and Matengu in the Musokotwane Chiefdom had to rely on unskilled teachers operating in mud hut structers. It was amazing to see the transformation, each school has three classrooms, two teachers’ houses and latrines. The community participation had been impressive and once approved these schools expect to open in January 2012. A third school at Malima, in the Mukuni Chiefom, has been given the same funding with the addition of a bore hole.

The highlight of my entire trip was to see the Kamwi twins, who lost their mother and sister during childbirth. Vincent and Elvis celebrated their first birthday this month.  Last October, when I first set eyes on them, I feared they would not survive; they each weighed just over one kilo. At barely two weeks old they were sent to a remote village, after being discharged from hospital because they could offer them only water. I could not refuse to support to these helpless infants. For twelve months the charity has provided formula, clothing and blankets and all their requirements, while their grandmother has lovingly nurtured them. They have been tested free of HIV and both are happy and healthy and are testament to the vital role we play in these vulnerable communities.

October sees the start of the rains and many mud huts cannot stand up to the deluge. This is particularly hard for old people supporting orphans. In the past few months we have build an additional nine homes. Two of them have been donated by one of the volunteers, James Ashley, who helped construct the houses. Five of them were funded by ENRC marketing who have also funded a teacher’s house, HIV and AIDS prevention projects and the under five’s feeding program, which has also received support from Brady Italia. One home was donated by LSR Rotary Club, one by Aurora and the other through the Cyclothon Challenge.

I had the pleasure of working with a number of volunteers, Casey Short and Margaret Bax, from Oregon, returned for a third year to continue the goat’s milk project. Mutsa Marau, a young lady from London, is spending four months at Mukuni teaching peer education in HIV and AIDS prevention. Petteri Alppi a former UCL student from Finland has documented the work of The Butterfly Tree in addition to writing a much needed Maths and English Revision guide. Claire Richardson and Hannah Lainton spent time teaching business skills to women’s groups. I have been so impressed with their hard work and dedication and thank them for helping us to make a difference.

Sincerely,

Jane-Kaye Bailey

Sponsored orphans - Mukuni Village

Mutsa - HIV/AIDS Prevention

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree website
• Facebook - The Butterfly Tree Charity

We  have  just  received  our  figures  for  2010-­‐2011  and  I  am  delighted  to  say  that  we  have  raised  an amazing   £270,000   (US$445,000);   this   is   our   best   year   to   date.   All   the   money   has   gone   directly   into   our   grassroots   projects  in  Zambia.  Our  annual  report  and  accounts  will  shortly  be  circulated.Despite   a   quiet   start   to   the   new   financial   year   our   funds   have   had   a   great   boost   from   both   individuals   and   corporate   who   have   visited   Mukuni   Village   in   the   past   few   months.   Having   gone   to  the   village  as   part   of   a   cultural   tour,   many   took   the   opportunity   to   visit   The   Butterfly   Tree   projects.   Donations   of   blankets,   sports   balls,   stationery   and   clothing   have   helped   a   number   of   vulnerable   people.   Two   companies,   Brady   Italy   and   Canon   Australia   have   generously   offered   ongoing   support.   Others   came   in   individual   donations   and   orphan   sponsorship  from  the  UK,  US, Europe  and  Australia.

The  three  schools  we  are  currently  building,  two  in  the  Musokatwane  Chiefdom  and  one  in  Mukuni,  are well   under  way  and  should  all  be  completed  by  the  end  of  this  year  ready  to  open  in  January  2012.  This has  been   made  possible  thanks  to  grant  aid  from  Jersey  Overseas  Aid  Commission.  We  are  now  reaching out  to  fifteen   schools  in  the  Kazungula  District  in  addition  to  three  clinics  and  a  number  of  rural  villages.

Many   existing   donors   have   generously   continued   their   support   to   sponsor   orphans.   The   first   of   the   sponsored  orphans  have  now  completed  grade  twelve  and  our  aim  is  to  source  the  funds  so  they  can  go onto   further   education.   The   Mukuni   Village   Fund   in   South   Australia   is   now   sponsoring   fifty   orphans  through   The   Butterfly   Tree   program.   However   many   more   sponsors   are   needed.   Due   to   the   global   recession   and   lack   of   employment   in   these   outreach   villages   far   too   many   children,   even   those   with   parents,   have   failed   to   pay   their   school   fees.   We   have   increased   our   support   to   keep   them   in   school.   This   summer   we   have   seven   volunteers   who   are   working   at   the   Mukuni   schools   to   tackle   the   HIV/AIDS   problems   and   improve   the   education  standards  and  also  some  of  them will be working with women's groups.

This  month  I  was  invited  to  Zurich  to  receive  a  substantial  donation  from  ENRC  Marketing  AG.  Unknown  to  us   their   employees   had   held   a   fundraising   campaign   and   the   beneficiary   was   to   be   an   NGO   working   in   one   of   the   many   countries   where   their   company   operates.   After   sifting   through   hundreds  of   charitable   organisations,  amazingly  The  Butterfly  Tree  was  selected  for  having  the  best  record of  proven  transparency   and   for   the   fact   that   we   are   all   volunteers   both   in   the   UK   and   Zambia.   The   male   employees   had   to   grow   mustaches  and  beards,  all  the  staff  gave  generously with matched funding provided by ENRC's head office in  London.  This  was  an  amazing  achievement  especially  as  it  took only  one  month  from  concept  to  reaching   their   target.   The   funds   raised   totalled   US   $27,000   and will be used to build a teachers house at Mukuni   Village,   five   community   houses   for   orphans   in   the   Chiefdom  and   to   support   our   HIV/AIDS   programmes   for   children,  which  include  peer  education,  workshops  and feeding  programs.

Saga, whos charitable trust is one of our major donors, are  challenging  their  employees  to  raise  funds  to   build a  bore  hole  and  a  shelter  for  boarders  at  Mukuni  who  have  to  long  distances  to  walk  to  school.  This   means  that  they  can  remain  close  to  the  school  during  the  week  and  return  home  at  the  weekend.    

                                                     
Next  month,  after  winning  a  team  place,  we  are  to  participate  in  Cyclothon  UK,  a  cycle  challenge  initiated  by   Victor   Umbugu   of   VU   Ltd   and   former   England   rugby   prop.   The   event   is   to   be   held   at   Brands   Hatch   on   15th   September.  Our team, The Flying Butts, need your support.  Donations  would  be greatly  appreciated  and  can   be  sent  to  The  Butterfly  Tree,  3  Gannaway  Court,  Norton  Lindsey,  Warwick CV35  8JR  or  made  using  our  Just   Giving  webpage:  http://www.justgiving.com/clythothonuk.  If  you  are  in the area  any  time  during  the  day  or   from   4pm   onwards   when   the   excitement   reaches   a   peak,   please   go  and   support   the   team   and   see   many   of   the  International  Rugby  players  taking  part.  We  are grateful to  CRB  Solutions,  Academy  Leasing  and  Geddes   and  Associates  who  are  our  three  of  our  main  sponsors.

 
Thank   you   to   all   the   individuals,   corporate,   schools,   clubs,   volunteers   and   philanthropies   who   have   given   so   generously  to  our  grassroots  projects,  which  have  improved  the  lives  of  thousands  of  children and  vulnerable   communities  in  Zambia.                   

Warmest  regards,     

 
Jane Kaye-Bailey

School Children

Mukuni Pre-School

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree website

• August 2011 Newsletter (PDF)
  

Peter Liyungu was the first orphan to be accepted on The Butterfly Tree orphan sponsorship program, some five years ago, when we first started operating in Mukuni Village back in 2006. At the time Peter had lost both parents and despite being very intelligent, had lost interest in his education and no access to funds to continue his education. A sponsor was sought and this transformed his life; as there was no high school at Mukuni Peter wanted to go to boarding school and subsequently attended Zimba High. We are also sponsoring his younger brother Mishek.

I am delighted to say that after four years Peter has completed grade twelve and did exceedingly well in his exams.  In his own words Peter wished to thank his sponsors.

"It is my pleasure to show my gratitude and say thank you for opening up my life to a dream come true. You are my father and my mother who would have done the same if they were alive. It takes a strong soul to take up the work of someone else.

I must let you know that I have made it through my senior secondary with 16 points which gives me the opportunity to apply for university. It is because of you that I have achieved this, your contribution to my education and my life in all was not in vain and once more thank you for making my dream come true."

To date The Butterfly Tree has sponsored over 400 individual orphans in addition to providing nutritional feeding programs, classrooms, teachers’ houses and bore holes holes. Our healthcare projects including HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention, boosted by a recent donation from Viking River Cruises, are all for the benefit of these vulnerable children. One of the great things about working in these rural communities is that when we can assist with the orphans’ education, there is always someone who will offer to be a guardian, whether it be a family member, a friend or even a teacher. This is by far more preferable than having to leave their village and be placed in an orphanage in town.

There are over 700,000 orphans in Zambia alone and they desperately need your support. Education is the only way they can get out of the cycle of poverty to enable them to better their situation. For as little as $180 USD or  £110 per annum or just $15 or £10 per month a child’s life can be transformed. The money is used to pay for school and exam fees, books, shoes, uniform and school bag. In addition to this the children receive a daily nutritional meal, such as the one at Mukuni, sponsored by Cunninghams. The Butterfly Tree provides educational workshops, using interactive DVD’s donated by TME, teaching the pupils about the dangers of HIV/AIDS, malaria, teenage pregnancy, drugs and alcohol.

If you would like to sponsor and orphan like Peter or Mishek and make another child’s dream come true, please click on the DONATE button or contact jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk.

Listen to the orphans singing with the Mukuni Basic Choir on Youtube  

Follow our progress on Facebook

Peter

Helping the Children

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree website
• Facebook - The Butterfly Tree Charity
• Youtube - The Mukuni High School Choir

The new year has gotten off to a great start with many more donors offering to sponsor an orphan, fundraisers organizing events as well as volunteers planning their trips to Mukuni. There are so many ways that you can get involved without having to break the bank. What has helped us considerably are the number of donors who have offered on going support, which has enabled The Butterfly Tree to continue feeding programs in schools, malaria prevention and HIV/AIDS prevention in clinics and sponsorship for initiatives such as the Mukuni pre-school.

Over the next few months we will start work on three new schools in very remote areas - one in the village of Malima in the Mukuni Chiefdom and the other two in Matengu and Silelo in the Musokotwane Chiefdon, a new area of expansion for the charity. Each community has impressively attempted to create an educational environment for their children using mud hut structures and untrained teachers.To assist them The Butterfly Tree is to build three classrooms, six teachers’ houses, twelve pit-latrines with the addition of a bore hole at Malima. These community schools will then become basic schools with trained teachers provided by the government. Education is the key and without it these vulnerable people will not move forward. Once the rainy season is over in March our work will commence and we look forward to what we hope will be another beneficial year for education in Zambia.

We are delighted that so many people are giving up their time to provide vital funds for our work in Zambia and are grateful to everyone for donating time and funds to help us. Without this support we could not have achieved so much. Thousands of orphaned and vulnerable children are now receiving an education, have access to safe clean drinking water and improved health facilities.

Mukabalengu attending school

Victoria Falls

Mukuni Village

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree

     Education is the key and the only way to overcome poverty, hunger and disease. Thanks to a substantial grant from Jersey Overseas Aid Commission we have been able to advance the education in five schools in the Kazungula District of Zambia. All of these schools are in remote areas and receive very little assistant from the outside world. With the addition of a 1×2 classroom, teacher’s house and latrines Kamwi Basic School has been able to add extra grades, which means that children no longer have to walk several miles to Mukuni. Simasimbi Basic School has been given the same development as Kamwi; the school becomes inaccessible during the rainy season making it even more beneficial to have improved facilities.

     The children of Mandandi used a simple mud hut as a school, where they were taught by untrained teachers. The addition of a brand new school has been welcomed by the community, trained teachers will be provided by the government for the opening in the new year. A new pre-school classroom has been built for the children of Machenje Village, with the aim of being supported by the community through income-generating activities. The flagship of the all our constructions is the new 1×3 classroom block, complete with an office and storerooms at Mukuni Basic School. The Jersey Overseas Aid Commission funding also included a much needed staff house for the clinic at N’songwe Village. This is the third clinic we are supporting.

     I had to deal with one of the most heartbreaking stories I have encountered in almost five years of working in Zambia. Elvis and Vincent were born two months’ premature after their mother went into labour at seven months and died in childbirth with a third baby. The Butterfly Tree has offered to support these helpless infants who need four tins of formula a week. Dealing with this case reconfirmed just how vulnerable these people are and how desperately they need our help. Advancing the health and education facilities will hopefully reduce the number of these distressing cases. The support we have received this year has been overwhelming, as you can see your donations have been used to make a difference to the lives of many people, please continue this vital support.

Help us to help more of these vulnerable children and sponsor a child today.

Thank you for your continued support.

The Butterfly Tree

New Pre-School Machenje Village

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree

Children have no choice where they are born and when you are born into a Zambian family the chances of losing your parents at an early sage are very high. The HIV and AIDS  in Zambia pandemic has infected or affected almost every family. One in six adults have the HIV virus and 710,000 children have been left orphaned. What happens to these orphans? The luckier ones have family members who look after them, others have guardians, while the unlucky ones who have lost everyone close to them, have to fend for themselves. Many of the have to drop out of school as they can no longer afford the school fees and need to earn money to buy food.

The Butterfly Tree orphan education sponsorship program has given hope to almost 400 children and the numbers are rising. Last month an association in Australia - the Mukuni Village Inc. generously offered to sponsor twenty orphans in addition to the 30 they sponsored last year. This has given the program a huge boost. We have many donors sponsoring between one and ten orphans, some have been with us since 2006 coming from several different countries. We are extremely grateful for this support and hope that this continues as we need many more people to sponsor an orphan.

Virtually all of our projects in education, health and community work are for the benefit of these vulnerable children. By offering them a chance to go to school, eat a nutritious meal and drink safe, clean water they have a chance in life. Education is the most important aspect of an orphan’s life. Our aim is to get as many of these orphans back into education as possible and to build classrooms in areas where there are no schools. Ten schools in the Mukuni Chiefdom are receiving our support and it is hoped, funds permitting, that we can develop schools in the Musokotwane Chiefdom in 2011.

In December we had our first school leavers after completing their A levels at the high school built by the charity. Although unemployment is extremely high one young man who had been on our orphan sonsorship program secured a job with Sun International. Victor Simango works as a security officer at the Zambezi Sun Hotel alongside the Victoria Falls and is very grateful to his sponsor who gave him the chance to improve his situation. Help us to help more of these vulnerable children.

Thank you for your continued support.

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree

So aside from my Victoria Falls bungee jumping adventures and seven-dollar-a-night hostel experiences, I did get a little bit of work done in Livingstone, Zambia.

Taking off from my luxurious hostel at seven in the a.m. I traveled to Mukuni village, happy to escape the hordes of guys peddling copper bracelets on the Livingstone streets.

Just a note--these guys are, by far, the most persistent salesmen I have ever seen. Literally, these fellas will walk and talk with you for an hour without ever mentioning their product. Good strategy? Who knows, but you at least get a good conversation out of the experience.

Anyway, Mukuni village, tucked right by the falls, is by village standards, gigantic. Literally thousands of people inhabit this village that has existed for centuries upon centuries. The people, who depend largely on selling local crafts and agriculture, have developed a very strong relationship with UK-based non-profit, The Butterfly Tree.

Just strolling through the village with Mr. Presley Mulenga, member of The Butterfly Tree and headmaster of Mukuni Basic School, the name “The Butterfly Tree” is ever-present. Be it latrines, schools, clinics, etc. there is no escaping the influence this charity has had on this large, yet tight-knit community.

When I first arrived, I found myself in a room with 7-8 women, all of whom were HIV positive. Some looked completely healthy, but others were clearly struggling in the fight, a look I have come to notice too easily while in Africa. Working through a Leya translator, I learned that The Butterfly Tree has helped with funding of the village clinic, obtaining antiretroviral medication for villagers, and has established a brand new maternity ward.

Most importantly, I believe, the organization has helped provide these women with the means to start their own sensitivization organization—try saying that five times fast. This support group travels throughout the area, telling their stories, and holds HIV seminars for both infected and non-infected individuals. So far, the results have been amazing, both for the listeners and for the ladies.

“It has been fantastic. There used to be such a stigma, but now it is getting better. When you have HIV, keeping busy allows you to finally feel normal again,” says Cynthia, support group secretary and primary school teacher. Cynthia was paralyzed just years ago. With The Butterfly Tree’s help she was able to keep her head above water with a growing stack of medical bills. With their help, she now walks.

However, their work doesn’t stop there. The face of education has been completely transformed thanks to the presence of these development lovin’ Brits.

They have established several basic schools in both Mukuni and elsewhere, providing children in rural areas with accessible education. When I arrived they were working on one brand new classroom block--a classroom for children for disabilities, and are on the way towards opening a high school for local children.

Some children were walking as far as 21 km to attend the basic school in Mukuni. For my fellow Americans, that is approximately 13 miles….one way. These children, leaving long before sunrise, are often in direct danger during seasons of elephant migration. Thanks to The Butterfly Tree, the Kamwi School is close to being finished, cutting short that unbelievable commute.

The organization has also been working extensively with an orphan program, sponsoring children so that they may live healthy, educated lives.

Now at this point it may seem that I’m done praising The Butterfly Tree’s work. In all honesty, if I had to fully explain all that The Butterfly Tree does, you all wouldn’t be willing to read that beast of an article.

However, for your benefit here are just a few more highlights of work being done—The Butterfly Tree has established an under-five feeding program and has put several playpumps in place (a contraption that allows kids to play on playground equipment while simultaneously pumping water into a reservoir). The Butterfly Tree helped to create a chicken farming operation, install countless latrines, council HIV-stricken mothers, help with prosthetics and individuals suffering from leprosy, shoe the shoeless, and build over 30 homes in the area.

Impressive, huh? That’s right, these people are non-profit superstars.

An organization providing this scale of influence is seldom seen. The Butterfly Tree has influenced literally every facet of Mukuni society, fighting HIV/AIDS and poverty from every possible angle.

A big-time organization that deserves some big-time attention—The Butterfly Tree. Troy Smith, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is currently an In-the-Field traveler visiting GlobalGiving projects throughout Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. Follow his trip at http://troygivesglobal.tumblr.com/.

The more funding we receive the more improvements are made. The invaluable HIV/AIDS workshops are making a significant difference to rural communities who have previously received little assistance. They educate the people about the dangers of the disease, help to remove the stigmatism, invite members of the community to come forward to be tested and for those who are HIV positive, treatment and counselling is readily available.

An example of this was in the outreach village of Kamwi, where 56 people came forward to be tested after listening to talks and drama performances. Twelve people were tested positive, which means that they can be treated and educated on how to lead a normal life and remain a member of their community. In the following days more came to the main clinic to be tested.

The educational DVD's on four topics concerning HIV have been distributed to a number of schools, clinics, hotels, lodges and govenernmental offices, including the presidential office. We mainly target the school children between 12-18 years as we believe that they are the future and the ones who can make the change. Through education they can then take their knowledge back to their community to 'spread the word'. We warn them about the dangers of unsafe sex, teenage pregnancies and the use of alcohol and drugs, which can all lead to catching the HIV virus.

Though there is improvement there is still far too many children being orphaned. Every month there are new cases and many have to drop out of school. We are currently sponsoring orphans 300 individual orphans besides offering daily nutritional feeding programmes and improved healthcare. There are twelve schools in the Chiefdom and we offer support to ten of these schools, all of which have a substantial number of orphans, who struggle to find the school fees. It is crucial to get them back into education as soon as possible. For an orphan who has lost parents and ofgten their home, edcuation becomes the most important part of their life.

The HIV/AIDS funding is vital and has definitely made a considerable difference to these Zambia villages.

Our aim for the forthcoming months is to fund additional workshops in rural villages.

Links:

• Health support provided by the charity
• HIV and AIDS in Zambia
• HIV prevention in infants