Author: paulevansbutoke

 A man was walking along the beach after a storm and, much as is reported in today’s press, he saw many starfish.  Away in the distance the man noticed boy walking along and every so often bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.

As the boy drew closer the man asked him what he was doing. The boy said “I am throwing starfish into the sea. They’ve been washed onto the beach and can’t return to the sea by themselves; if they stay here they’ll die.”

The man replied “There are thousands and thousands of starfish on this beach. You really won’t be able to make much of a difference.”

As the boy picked up another starfish and threw back into the sea, he smiled “I made a difference to this one!”

There are many versions of this tale, just as there are many people around the world who need help. Sometimes it seems overwhelming; you might wonder if it is worth helping at all.

We can tell you that it is worth helping. If you could make even a small donation to help others it makes a difference, and 100% of any donation given to the Friends of Butoke Charity goes to Butoke as the running costs of the Charity are covered by the trustees.

Click here to find out how you can help.

More people need our help – we’re running out of food and medicines

More people than ever are passing though Butoke needing medical attention and food. We need to help them as well as our orphans and existing community.

Our food and medicines are rapidly depleting. Help us please  Click to help

 

Did you know that making a donation to charity can make you feel happier?

Research has shown a “warm glow” in the reward centre of the brain when you give to charity. It’s the same part of the brain that’s turned on when we eat chocolate or take part in other pleasurable activities.  In actual fact there is more “warm glow”  when we donate money than we receive an equivalent amount.

If you ask the brain – giving is better than receiving!

Could you make a donation now?

100% of the money given to the Friends of Butoke Charity goes to Butoke as the running costs of the Charity are covered by the trustees.

Improving lives – the sewing machine project

Many girls miss out on an education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Butoke’s school is trying to help some young women who were unable to go to school as children by providing them with a vocational education. To this end, the £2400 you donated when Paul ran the Yorkshire marathon will be spent on sewing machines and related materials. The idea is to provide students with skills which will enable them to make a living by making and repairing clothes.

This new project provides women with a real opportunity to learn new skills, build confidence and make a living.

The first batch of sewing machines have now arrived and are already proving popular.

BBC REPORT FERGAL KEANE

BBC Africa editor Fergal Keane writes about the anger and anguish of villagers caught up in the latest spiral of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. BBC News27 March 2018

 

A difficult year for the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The DRC has had a difficult year and that has affected Butoke’s ability to help those who rely upon it. The national political situation is difficult. The BBC News website has interesting coverage of recent events.

Secondly, and of more immediate significance to Butoke, a huge humanitarian crisis has developed in the Kasai province, which is where Butoke operates. Again, the BBC News website is covering the crisis, which has grown out of clashes between a local militia and the security services. The UN food agency says that more than three million people are now at risk of starvation. At least 1.5 million people have fled their homes and an unknown number have already been killed or died.

Butoke has tried to help people who have been emerging from the forests where they had been hiding from militias for months at a time. The new arrivals often have literally nothing, not even clothes, when they arrive malnourished at Butoke’s door. Butoke has been trying to provide clothes, some food, medical treatment and blankets, but the
situation remains desperate.