Seeds for Life in Zambia

This month, we heard on the news that over half of England is officially in drought, according to the Environment Agency. Despite one of the wettest winters on record, a lack of spring and summer rain has resulted in drought conditions.

Sadly, the majority of people in developed countries do not conserve water. We leave taps running while brushing our teeth, take long showers, pump gallons of water onto our lawns, and use a hose to wash our cars. In a country like Zambia, where the dry season lasts from April to November, access to drinking water is never taken for granted.

The Butterfly Tree has successfully drilled a borehole for a new health facility under construction in Maile Male, a remote area of Kalomo District. We will shortly drill five further boreholes for rural schools and communities.

The Zambian Ministry of Education's new school feeding directive requires schools to produce home-grown meals. One school proving to do this successfully is Kamwi Primary in Kazungula District. We helped to improve the water system, fenced an area for growing vegetables, and provided seeds and fertilizer.

We have also recently built a feeding shelter for Simukumbwa Community School, along with a water system and seeds for their school garden. Next month we will construct a feeding shelter for Singmwamba primary school. 

All our women's projects have received extra seeds and fertiliser to grow additional vegetables and crops. Senkobo Women's Project, in a remote area of Musokotwane, has received extensive training from the University of Zambia's Agricultural Department. The group will soon be supplying home-grown food to schools in Livingstone town.

As always, we are deeply grateful for the tremendous support from our regular and new donors, which has enabled us to reach out to more rural schools and communitues. 

Links:

• The Butterfly Tree Website