Seeds for Life in Zambia

As the rainy season in Zambia draws to an end rivers and stream are flowing. Though there has been an abundance of rain in some areas, others have had intermittent downpours causing crops to perish due lack of water. The crops that thrive better than maize in these conditions are sorghum and millet, both are less dependent on rain. 

Thanks to a considerable donation 50 schools received a mixture of seeds and fertiliser for their gardens. Now that the rains are over pupils can plant vegetable seeds using water from boreholes donated by The Butterfly Tree. The bigger schools and some community projects have solar-powered water reticulations systems with a water storage tank. This provides easy access to both drinking water and irrigation.

This is also the time to start drilling new boreholes (wells). Drilling companies will not work during the rainy season due to the tracks in the rural areas becoming inaccessible. The first borehole hole to be drilled, earlier this month, was at Ngandu school. The drilling rig was on site at 6am, hour after hour the drilling continued until water was eventually found at 140 metres. The area is rocky therefore metal casing had to be used. The water will be pumped into the storage tank next to the school's kitchen. 660 pupils and teachers now have access to safe drinking water.

Three further boreholes are to be drilled in the next couple of months. The drilling rig is currently at Namukaba school hoping to find water, children currently draw drinking water fro a local stream, which is polluted most especially in the dry season. In the western world we take water for granted and do not realise that there are millions of people that do not have access to safe drinking water.

A new food production warehouse has been developed in Livingstone, which will enable some of our women's project to flourish. The development was initiated for Zambian produce from local growers in order to supply hotels, lodges and shops. Livingstone is the capitol of Zambia tourism and has an abundance of accommodation from backpackers' hostels to five star hotels. No longer will the women need to source markets for their fruit and vegetable enterprises as they can now be sent to the warehouse where they will receive a higher price.

We are so grateful to all our donors and hope that we can raise further funds for more boreholes and water systems.

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree Water Projects

Thanks to a substantial donation from one of our regular donors and our Christmas Appeal thousands of orphans and vulnerable children received a bag of ground maize before the 25th December. Our local team worked tirelessly to reach remote areas where distributions took place at the local schools.

A bag of maize weighing 25kg, will feed a family of four for three weeks. 2,250 bags were shared between Mukuni, Sekute, Nyawa and Musokotwane Chiefdom and all the orphans on sponsorship were each given a bag. In Kamwi Village all people over 70 years of age who have no family to support them were given a bag of maize.

In addition 50 rural schools were given seeds and fertiliser for their school gardens. This enables them to grow maize and vegetables to provide a sustainable daily feeding programme for pupils. Many walk long distances to seek an education, and for some it may be the only meal of the day.

The donation will include the installation of five borehols for schools and communities. During the dry season, from April to November, far too many people in rural areas must rely on contaminated streams and rivers for drinking water. Diarrhoeal disease is one of the leading causes of death in infants. Having access to safe drinking water considerably reduces the number of cases, saves time fetching water and can provide irrigation. 

Many, many thanks for this tremendous contribution which has helped to alleviate hunger, support feeding programmes and will improve access to drinking water once the boreholes have been installed.

Links:

• THE BUTTERFLY TREE - 2022 HIGHLIGHTS