Orphan Education Support - Zambian Villages

CONTINUING ORPHAN SUPPORT

As always we continue to provide support for orphans in Zambia. This support mainly helps an orphan to be educated. Since 2006 we have helped to educate thousands of these vulnerable children, which includes some with special needs. The Butterfly Tree built the first rural special education unit in Zambia and has since built three more.

Some of the orphans we helped at the beginning have now completed school. When funds permit we support them  through college. They are encouraged at school to become teachers, but after the three year training course it can take a futher three years before they are given a teaching post.

Jacob, was the first boy we helped to go to high school in 2006. When I met him last month he proudly showed by his Diploma after graduating from Monze College in Agricutual Studies. He has already been employed on a large farm in Mazabuka. However, his aim is to own his own farm to support his family and to teach his community advanced methods of farming. 

Owen, another orphan, has just been accepted to study Biomedical Science, this is a great achievement for someone coming from such a poor background.

For those seeking college places The Butterfly Tree has encouraged them to do volunteer work. A group of them perform workshops on HIV Prevention through peer education. These are invulable lessons for young school children who live in an area where there is a high prevalence of HIV.

To earn an income the group are helping us to construct community houses for widows or the elderly looking after orphans. At present 10 of them are under construction, all being built by orphans who have completed school.

The Orphan Education Support project provides valuable funds to help children from Zambia, one of the poorest countries in the world to improve their situation.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

Links:

• Education Projects

It's not easy being an orphan. When a child has lost not just one, but both parents, their world is turned upside down. What is worse for some children is that they may have been living a relatively prosperous life in a town where both parents brought in an income, then everyhting changes. They must go to a remote village to live with their grandparents. No longer do they have the amenities found in town, their new home is most likely to be a mud hut dwelling with no running water and no electricity.

This is what happened to Peter, who was sent to live in Mukuni Village with his aunt and had to attend a new school. At the age of 12 Peter, an intelligent child, was not performing well. The Head Teacher advised that if he was moved to a boarding school he would perform better. From then on, Peter, who was the first orphan to be sponsored by the charity, received help. The sponsorship and Peter's hard work paid off. After completing high school with good results, followed by three years studying at college, a Bachelor's degree as a Secondary School Teacher was gained.

This is a great achievement for an orphan who had a troubled life and lived in a poor community. Other orphans have gone on to be engineers, teachers, nurses and police officers. Jacob, after four years at college, with shortly complete his course in agriculture.

Besides supporting individual children, we are currently building a new school and expending two more. Bunsanga School, previously used a mud hut dwelling to teach the 86 village children. When the roof of the classroom collapsed the pupils had to be taught in a church. With a new classroom block shortly opening the enrolment has already increased. A teacher's house and latrines will also be added.

River View School is in the final stages of development after a four-classroom block has been constructed as well as six latrines. This week we started work on a new two-classroom block for the pupils at Chaba School. Currently grade 8 pupils must walk 7 miles each way to Livingstone to attend classes. 

Helping these vulnerable children to gain a sound education will not only change their lives for the better, but it will inspire other orphans to take the challenge. With your support, we can educate so many more children and give them hope and a purpose in life.

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree's Education Projects