The Butterfly Tree - Stand 51

With five days left until the European Travel Distribution Summit, there is still time to register for the seminar hosted by The Butterfly Tree at 11am on Wednesday 21st May at the Business Design Centre, North London.

A key aim of The Butterfly Tree is to reduce world poverty through the tourist industry and we are delighted that Eye for Travel have given us this opportunity to join such a renowed group of exhibitors and speakers at this marketing event. They have generously given us a room to host a seminar as well as an exhibiting stand for the duration and also named The Butterfly Tree as the summit’s official charity.

Along with Exquisite Safaris we will continue to promote philanthropic travel and responsible tourism and hope to get this message over to many of the tour operators, hoteliers and other members of the tourist industry who have a great capacity to improve the health, education, water and enviromental issues in the developing countries where they are operating.

For more information and to register for the seminar, click here

Zambian DJs help fundraise 

Last night I attended a fundraising event in Nottingham hosted by SWITCH and orgainzed by my son, Mike and his friends to raise money for a Science lab at Mukuni High School. The venue was Ecucha, one of Nottingham’s top bars and Basement Crew, a live DJ set from Zambian provided the music.

The evening was a great success and all the money raised will go towards The Butterfly Tree project. The drinks were sponsored by Peroni and Bacardi Brown-Forman and the bar staff donated their wages to add to the total. Basement Crew were amazing, playing Zambian music, which proved to be more popular than the UK hits; the African beat creating a great atmsophere.

The Butterfly Tree would like to thank SWITCH, Escucha, the sponsors and all the bar staff and the DJs who freely volunteered their services.

SWITCH members Mike, Nick and Christian

Basement Crew from Zambia

Classrooms and teacher’s houses needed

During the recent teacher’s strike I am sure that many of you had sympathy for the wonderful people who educate our children. If you think that they are badly done to in this country, in Zambia, where the average monthly pay for a teacher is £75, teachers have to endure appalling living conditions. They have no choice of schools, a teacher can be sent anywhere throughout the country, and despite having lived in a town or city, they suddenly find themselves in the middle of the bush with no plumbing or electricity.

At Mukuni Village I see teachers living in leaking storerooms, tuck shops and classrooms, sharing a pit-latrine toilet and an ‘open air’ bathroom, using bowls of cold water to wash with. Sadly The Butterfly Tree receives very few donations to build teacher’s houses, despite the fact that teachers are the backbone of these remote schools. In one house where there are five male teachers, with only four rooms, one poor guy has to sleep in a cupboard. It is these teachers who are helping the orphans to overcome their hardships and find a way to better their lives.

As well as having poor living conditions the teachers are also battling with inadequate facilities. Many classrooms are in desparate need of restoration, books are in short supply and the sports facilities are virtually non-existant, with numerous schools having to use ‘bag and string’ footballs and the gymnasts training on the ‘dirt’ ground. Most rural schools have no plumbing or electricty, many are without even a bore hole, and some with no facilities at all, use using the shade of a mango tree to conduct their lessons.

The Butterfly Tree is seeking corporates and individuals to sponsor a teacher’s house or classroom, with a donation between £5000 - £20000 you could make a difference to an entire Zambian community.

Donate a mosquito net

A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.
According to the World Health Organisation malaria epidemics kill more than 100,000 people of all ages every year; an estimated 10,000 of these women and 200,000 of their infants die as a result of malaria infection during pregnancy. “Malaria remains a major threat for 3.2 billion people in more than 107 countries throughout the world,” says Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro, president of the International Red Cross Federation.

Malaria is such a huge issue that it is difficult for a small charity such as The Butterfly Tree to get involved . However we already have a malaria project in place, as the Zambian communities we work in are badly affected by malaria. The disease can be treated but in some of the remote communites they are unable to get to a clinic or do not realise they have malaria through lack of education; mosquito nets are the answer. Although the government issues nets there is never enough for each member of a family, many sharing one net, which makes it impossible to get complete coverage.

We have provided malaria testing kits and TME’s edcuatioinal DVDs on ‘avoiding malaria’ and ‘bed nets’. Now we are appealing for donations to provide more children with mosquito nets.

Donate a mosquito net for £4.50

Helping Africa

For centuries African countries have been exploited, many prospering from the rich natural resources found in countries such as Congo, Zimbabwe and Zambia. These countries are now some of the poorest in the world decimated by war and poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Now it is time for the West to ‘give something back’ and help Africa overcome their numerous hardships. Earlier this year several countries in Eastern and Southern Africa suffered the worst flooding in decades; lives and livestock were lost, homes and crops destroyed, entire communities submerged in water. Is this a result of ‘global warming? There is no welfare available and the governments are so poor they have to appeal for international aid.

Where I am working in Zambia, as an NGO, close to the Victoria Falls area I see complete extremes of accomodation; from mud huts to luxurious hotels and lodges. The nation is experiencing a ‘boom’ in tourism and once again the hoteliers and tour operators are exploiting local communities. It isn’t enough just to offer employment to the people; they need health care, safe water and education. It is shameful to hear that hoteliers drain the local bore holes to water their golf courses, which is the case in some developing countries.

Read the rest of this entry »

Help reduce world poverty through travel

Having previously been involved in the travel industry, since travelled extensively around the globe and now working in one of the poorest countries in the world, I have observed a great deal. Now that experience can be put to use at the seminar hosted by The Butterfly Tree at the Europe 2008 Travel Distribution Summit being staged at the London Design Centre to encourage tour operators, hoteliers and tourists to be more aware of the needs of the communities they are operating in.

For the past two years we have partnered with Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel Worldwide who have agreed to donate £125 for every one of their tourists who visit our projects at Mukuni Village. This also gives the traveller an opportunity to ‘get involved’ or give something back.

I am delighted that three other like-minded organizations have agreed to join me at this event. Tourism Concern, is the only UK organisation campaigning on exploitation in the global tourism industry; Charity Challenge, gaining an award for Best Tour Operator for Poverty Reduction at the World Travel Market and Everyclick, the search engine that gives 50% of its revenue to charity every month.

If you would like to join The Butterfly Tree at the seminar reserve your place and use the link for free registration for further information read our previous post Travel Distribution Summit  or contact Jane Kaye-Bailey jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk telephone 01926 843699 or Simon Carkeek simon@eyefortravel.com

The Butterfly Tree - nominated charity

I am delighted to announce that The Butterfly Tree is the nominated charity for Europe 2008 Travel Distribution Summit to be held on the 20-21 May at the Business Design Centre, London. Organised by Eye for Travel the summit is the world’s biggest event for marketing, pricing and technology experts.

Having spoken at last year’s World Travel Market I aim to get more people in the travel industry involved in corporate social responsibilty; sadly the industry is lagging behind.

The Butterfly Tree promotes responsible tourism and will be hosting a seminar at the event on 21st May at 11am:

Title - How to incorporate Philanthropic Travel and Responsible Tourism initiatives while substantially improving your overall business performance.

Travel companies can concretely benefit by improving the effectiveness of social responsibility. Supporting and promoting humanitarian and environmental causes, will enhance your reputation, add further appeal to your customers and attract better employees.

Speakers: 

• Jane Kaye-Bailey - Philanthropic Traveler & Founder of The Butterfly Tree
• Victoria Bolton - Charity Challenge - General Manager
• Guyonne James - Tourism Concern - Program Manager
• Mark Nall - Everyclick - Chief Executive

Photo: Providing safe water in third world tourist destinations

To learn more about the Travel Distribution Summit and the seminar contact: Jane Kaye-Bailey email - jane@thebutterflytree.org.uk or Simon Carkeek simon@eyefortravel.com

Too many pupils unable to attend school

Although there are over 100 orphans being sponsored by The Butterfly Tree, many more urgently need help. I was distressed to learn yesterday that out of 50 pupils who had past grade 9 to attend the new high school, only 20 had been able to afford to pay for the fees and uniform.

In October 2007 when I was driving through Livingstone, the teacher from Mukuni who was accompanying me, asked me to pull over after she spotted a pupil from her class. When she asked Victor Simango why he was not at school, he bowed his head and simply replied ‘I cannot’. I also questioned him and found that he had no father and a mother who could no longer afford to educate him. I asked him if he liked school and that if he got the chance of a sponsorship would be attend. The answer was yes to both questions.  I suggested he meet me at the Head Teacher’s office at 9am the following morning, he was early!

It is heartbreaking to see these children who’s education is the most important part of their life, having to drop out of school as one or both of their parents have died. Next week grade 9 pupils are due to sit their exams; twenty would have been unable to take them until The Butterfly Tree intervened; their grandparents or guardians could not find the £4.50 to pay for the examination fees.

£85 a year will cover the cost of school and exam fees, books, uniform, shoes and school bag. Our aim is to get the older children back into school as quickly as possible so that they do not miss any more valuable lessons.

Please consider sponsoring an orphan and make a difference to someone’s life!

Overcoming the hardships through education

The improvements in education made by The Butterfly Tree over the past two years at Mukuni Village is having a positive effect on the community.

With the addition of a high school, now in it’s second year, pupils are able to complete grades ten to twelve of their education with a far better prospect of finding employment and with the boom in the Zambian tourist industry more positions will be available to school leavers.

Photo: Pupils have made these bricks for the high school laboratory

The addition of a pre-school totally funded by The Butterfly Tree now has 198 children attending three classes throughout the day. With very little entertainment in these remote villages young children can learn to read and write and speak English at a much earlier age. Read the rest of this entry »

Vice President of Zambia visits Mukuni Village

I have just returned from an eventful trip to Zambia, which included meeting Vice-President Rupiah Banda during his visit to survey the areas devastated by the recent floods.

Chief Mukuni invited me to attend the meeting when the Vice-President came to Mukuni Village. The Chief explained The Butterfly Tree’s involvement in his Chiefdom and I was given the opportunity to voice my disappointment in Zambian customs failure to release our shipment to assist the flood victims. Mr. Banda told me that it would be looked into by his office.

I personally visited the areas around Maramba, where many people had been displaced during the torrential rains that caused such destruction. I met a new born baby living in one of the tents provided by Shelter Box and learnt of the shortages of food amongst the people. Much of the nation’s maize crops have been destroyed during the peak growing season with a famine predicted in many areas. Read the rest of this entry »