Seeds for Life in Zambia

One of the things that donors and supporters frequently say to me is ‘you have saved so many lives!’ However, I usually correct them by saying we have no proof that we have actually saved a life, but The Butterfly Tree is ‘helping to save lives’, especially with our malaria prevention initiative.

Malaria prevention and all of our projects in Zambia are vitally important, but no more so than water. According to the World Health Organization access to safe drinking-water is a basic human right, and yet a third of Zambia’s population do not have safe drinking water! Where we work we see many remote communities relying on rivers and streams for drinking water. 

Due to the the severe drought in Southern and Western Zambia rivers and streams are dry, and for some the situation is now critical.

The boreholes, which we have previously installed are proving to be invaluable, and potentially life-saving, especially in the outreach areas of Nyawa Chiefdom, where communities normally rely on river water. People are travelling long distances to reach Zalu and other schools where we have added boreholes in recent years. Every day they arrive with buckets and barrels using donkeys and carts to transport this most precious of commodities.

In other areas where there are no boreholes people are digging deep holes in dry river beds and must wait hours for water to trickle through. Having lost all their crops, due to the drought, they also need water for their livestock. Our volunteers have witnessed this in many areas, not just in Nyawa, but also in Mukuni Chiefdom. The scene is heart rendering.

On a positive note I am pleased to report that nine boreholes are being installed thanks to generous donations. Over the next few months we aim to help more schools to create sustainable feeding programmes, looking at alternrative crops to maize, which is rain-dependent.

I have been totally overwhelmed by the support we have received for the food crisis appeal. your donations are providing roller meal (ground Maize) for thousands of people whose crops failed this year. We are so grateful to everyone, but still need donations for water and food projgrammes to continue helping people through this period of drought.

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree Food Projects

The recent appeal for bags of maize has proved to be highly successful. Due to the severe drought there is a great deal of hunger. Supporting the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal for 'Zero Hunger', The Butterfly Tree has distributed over 5,000 bags of maize to schools and communities affected by the sever drought in Zambia. Orphans and vulnerable children are our priority, though help has also be given to the elderly and widows who have no income. We have donated 20 bags of ground maize to seven schools in the Kazungula District as the World Food Programme has closed school feeding programmes in this in this region.

Heart breaking stories materialise. On the 26th June an old man, from Katanda Village, had not eaten a proper meal in two months. He heard that we were distributing maize at Muyunda, he walked there but found nothing left as it had already been given out. He then walked to Singwamba and luckily, we had a few bags remaining He was in such a sorry state but declined the offer of help to carry his bag of maize to his home. To Muyunda from his home 20km...to Singwamba...16km and back home 8km. A staggering 44km (26 miles)!

Children in desperate need of food try to catch fish from stagnant streams and consequently they are contracting Bilharzia. However, as medication for this is not readily available in the rural clinics, the charity has donated funds to pay for medication for 120 children. 

Water is in short supply unless a school or community has a borehole or well. Otherwise streams and some rivers are dry therefore people have to walk several kilometers in search of drinking water. We have funding in place to provide two more boreholes for schools and three communities, which will give approximately 2,000 people access to safe drinking water.

The rainy season does not start until December therefore we need more donations to sustain the supply of food and water for vulnerable people who live in extreme poverty and cannot help themselves as crops cannot be planted in the cool dry months.

Though we cannot help everyone we are providing food for a substantial number of people in outreach areas and making contributions to avoid a widespread famine. 

Links:

• Food Crisis in Zambia