By Jane Kaye-Bailey | Founder
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 states: ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all‘ and yet, according to the UN, sub-Sahara Africa still has some of the lowest participation rates in early childhood and primary education.
I frequently find rural children in Zambia not attending school. The reasons being the lack of schools and trained teachers, distances to access education, and high level of poverty. My belief is ‘that every child has a right to education’ – the charity’s main aim is to advance the educational facilities in rural areas and to support orphans and vulnerable children with equal opportunities for boys and girls.
The Butterfly Tree is the biggest contributor to education in the entire Kazungula District. Three more projects are almost complete: Kawewa Primary School will shortly be upgraded after we received a substantial grant. River View has an additional classroom block, and a donor has generously funded an entire new school at Muyunda.
Last year I was informed that 280 pupils, from villages surrounding the town of Kazungula, were not attending school. This area is at the border to Botswana and has hundreds of truck drivers passing through every week. Consequently there is a high prevalence of HIV.
After visiting the area in March I was determined to find a solution for the 280 children, and no doubt the many more undiscovered. Therefore, my proposal was to construct an entire new school as nearby River View, with 1,500 pupils, is full. I am delighted to say that a donor has given The Butterfly Tree significant funds for a classroom block, desks and latrines, in addition to funding two boarding shelters to enable outreach pupils to attend River View School.
A school group from the UK has raised funds to build a further boarding shelter at Mukuni Junior Secondary School and will be arriving in Zambia at the end of July to help with the construction.
We are extremely grateful to all our donors who have helped us to make such tremendous advancements in education.
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