Food Security Zambia Project #10448

Seeds for Life in Zambia

by The Butterfly Tree

Project Report | May 11, 2026
THOUSANDS MORE CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER

By Jane Kaye-Bailey | Founder

Busilibi community watch in anticipation

Over 6 million people do not have access to clean water in Zambia. The rural areas are most in need. Providing clean water facilities saves time fetching water and reduces the risk of sickness in children caused by drinking polluted water from streams and shallow wells. In the past two weeks The Butterfly Tree has successfully drilled five new boreholes in Kalomo and Kazungula Districts.

The two in the Kazungula District are at Kapalanga and Siamundia, the other three are in Kalomo District were drilled Mabwa Atubu, Busilibi and Mudenda, giving access to clean water for 12,000 people, including school children who walk long distances to be educated.

Last month The Butterfly Tree donated seeds and fertilizer to six women's project to help boost their food production. After a successful crop harvest the women are now focused on growing vegetables during the dry season. All of the groups were previously given boreholes with solar-powered water reticulation systems.

In addition four of the groups are receiving expert training from the University of Zambia's Agricultural Department. The aim is for the rural women to provide food for schools in the town of Livingstone.

Kamwi Primary school in Mukuni, an area close to the Victoria Falls, received a substantial donation to add a food production unit for school children. The land has been cleared and fenced, and vegetables have been planted. This will provide a sustainable feeding programme for grades 1 to 7 and will help to alleviate hunger in children who walk long distance to school.

We are very grateful for the tremendous support we have received or our 'Seeds for Life in Zambia' programme.

Kapalanga women celebrating the success drill

Musokotwane women's food security project

Siambalele women's food security project

Links:

The Butterfly Tree Newsletter April 2026

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Jan 20, 2026
ABUNDANCE OF WATER AND FOOD

By Jane Kaye-Bailey | Founder

Siamweya Community borehole and handpump

As the New Year gets underway I am pleased to report that the rains in Zambia, which started in November, are abundant. Everywhere is lush and green after the long dry spell. Communities, schools and individuals have planted crops.

The Butterfly Tree donated extra seeds and fertilzer to all the women's food security projects to boost their enterprices. We no longer donate maize after crop failures due to poor rainfall in previous years. Instead we donate sorghum seeds, a cereal grain rich in nutrients including high fibre, protein, minerals and B vitamins.

Four of the women's project have received additional training from the University of Zambia's Agricultural department. This is being funded by the International Research Centre in Canada with the aim of women supplying food for pupils attending Livingstone schools. The Butterfly Tree was one of only five charities nationwide to be invited to participate. The women's projects in Siambalele, Zwanga, Muskotwane and Senkobo were selected due to their close proximity to Livingstone town.

The rains should last until April and once the dry season starts the following communities and schools will have year-round access to safe drinking water year-round water as a result of the latest donations of boreholes. In addition, two health facilities received boreholes and the one for Katanda where we are about to complete a clinic, two staff houses, toilets and mother's shelter an entire solar-powered water system has been added.

- Schools: Maila Male and Siamusunse

- Communities: Sheleni, Simbalwa and Muumba

- Health Centres and Posts: Nguba and Katanda

We are delighted to have received additional funding to drill more boreholes this year in remote areas where the only access to drinking water during the dry season is from shallow wells.

Thank you to everyone who has generously supported The Butterfly Tree's 'Seeds for Life' Programme.

Drilling for a borehole - Maile Male school

Donation of seeds and fertilizer

Links:

The Butterfly Tree Water Projects

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Oct 4, 2025
ACCESS TO SAFE WATER FOR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES

By Jane Kaye-Bailey | Founder

Nakatele Community Borehole

As we reflect on last year the severe drought in Zambia caused predominantly by El Niño had a devastating impact on rural communities throughout Zambia. Streams and rivers were completely dry. People relied on polluted shallow wells, travelling long distances to access drinking water, and existing boreholes were overwhelmed. The Butterfly Tree drilled 27 boreholes of which unfortunately, 5 were completely dry. We also installed 7 solar-powered water reticulation systems. Below are the beneficieries for boreholes:

Nguba School, Siamuya School, Sianjangulu School, Kanono School, Mukamba Community, Siapenga Community, Muyunda School, Mupampi Community, Kasiya Community, Siambelele Community, Kauwe RHC Cinic, Namukamba School, Kamusiku School, Katondo School, Manono School, Masamu Muyumu School, Karamba Community, Nguba School, Siamuya School, Sianjangulu School, Luwe School, Muule School, Service Centre School, Mulindi School, Mapepe School, Malongalonga Community, and Ndele Clinic.

The water systems seven were donated to women's projects to create sustainable income-generating enterprices for food security. Senkobo, Mukuni, Zalu, Zwanga, Sekute Central, Kanchele and Simabelele each received a water system which included a solar-powerd reticulation pump, water storage tank and irrigation pipes.

Currently it is the dry season in Zambia and though the drought eneded earlier this year there are still thousands upon thousands of people who do not have access to safe water. We have recently added boreholes for Simukumbwa, Nejezya and Gombe schools and for Siampunga, Syamwiya and Milangu communties. In addition we have drilled a borehole with a complete water system for Katanda where we are currently constructing an entire new health centre. A further two boreholes are being drilled this weekend.

Thanks to the support of our major, regular and new donors we were able to support a substantial amount of people in Zambia during the worst drought in the nation’s history. The response to our appeals was tremendous. Despite this unprecedented challenge we continuously provided support for emergency food relief without neglecting our other projects related to water, health and education.

Siampunga water source prior to a borehole

Milangu Community borehole

Links:

The Butterfly Tree Annual Report and Accounts

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