Butterflies

Butterflies works with vulnerable groups of children with a special focus on children on the streets and child labour since 1989 in India. The organis Read moreation follows a rights based and non-institutional approach which aims to educate and impart life skills to vulnerable children to make them self-reliant while countering generational illiteracy and poverty. The organisation believes in the importance of voicing children's issues and makes the participation of children in its decision making central to its work ethics. It works towards inculcating a primary defence mechanism while highlighting the importance of strengthening families and communities to protect its children. It further encourages and supports children to continue schooling, imparts life skills education and provides capacity building with an aim to help them explore employment opportunities. Butterflies is also a member of a global alliance of local civil society organisations, Family for Every Child, which works to ensure that children grow up safe and protected within families. Through this alliance, it advocates for better child protection policies and services, shares good practices, shares innovation, researches on the issues faced by children and continuously learns with partners to improve the way it works. The main programmes of the organisation include Children's Development Khazana (life skills programme which teaches financial management), Child Health Cooperative (CHC), Children's Media (radio, video, newspaper and theatre), Resilience Centre and Childline (1098, 24 hour helpline for children in crisis), Vocational training (includes Butterflies School of Culinary, Catering and Computer Education) and Child Social Protection Committee Programme. Additionally, it also has a research, advocacy and training wing that works to support mobilisation of civil society and influences policies at all levels. Further, it is an active participant in national and international networks for advocating and promoting policies, programmes and actions to protect rights of children. Butterflies reaches out to almost 3300 children every year through various interventions in all project areas and has worked with more than 71000 children since inception.

Butterflies' vision is a world where every child is loved, respected, educated and free from exploitation. Its mission is to work with vulnerable children to help them reach their full potential and become valued citizens.

Butterflies received the International Cooperative Innovation Award in 2020 for its Children's Development Khazana program. It has expanded its programs to multiple states in India and other countries.