The first playground that was built in Nkhata Bay was at Butterfly Space, was initiated by World Challenge.  Moulton School sent 12 students to build a playground on site here at butterfly.   They spent only one week here but have accomplished an amazing place that is used so much on a daily basis. Please go and visit and see their efforts.  Since then there has also been another one built at the hospital by one of the volunteers from this initial playground, Al Bruce.  This was an excellent site for this playground as there are many children that use it from surrounding villages as well as patient’s children waiting or on the road to recovery.  Read more »

As far as tourists are concerned, it is our quietest time here at Butterfly.  Heavy rains deter the tourists but provide us with a lot of extra work generally around the lodge.  Drains have to be re-built, and roofs recovered as we can often receive a few inches in half an hour.  It does however result in a lush garden site, which would be harvesting a lot more vegetables right now if it wasn't for the rabbits that have become Butterfly's new `friends'.  Amazing lightening stormscoming from the lake give us a great show, but also wreak havoc on our electrics.
Whereas we normally have a few long -termers around to cover the quiet season, a few people left us en mass in December and we have yet to entice others to get involved!!  So if you know anyone who is interested then get them to get in touch.  On that front we recently got an agreement from the Regional Immigration Officer in Mzuzu outlining that people were able to volunteer on the relevant tourist visa, for a period of up to nine months.  This is great news as so far we have been doing everything `quietly quietly'.  We are still working together with the District Commissioner to get an agreement for more skilled, longer-term volunteers, but this seems to be taking a little longer to organise. Read more »