The Butterfly Project

This is a project, initially developed in Kaduna State, Nigeria but now we are instigating in Uganda in two areas - Kisenyi/Kireka in Kampala, Uganda and Lyantonde/Rakai, Uganda.  So what is the Butterfly Project?

   Firstly one has to start with the view that social entrepreneurs are people  who are beneficial to disadvantaged society, perhaps, on average, substantially more beneficial. Thus the objective of the project is to encourage and create many social entrepreneurs in an area affected by substantial poverty.

In Kaduna state, Nigeria, 50% of children do not attend school, or at the very least have dropped out. Most of these spend their time either begging in towns or selling farm produce that they have gathered. It is a reasonable assumption that these 50% are equally as bright as those who are attending school. Since those who are gifted and/or talented are likely to underachieve or reject school, it is likely that this group also includes an equivalent number of gifted and talented children.

Most, but not all of these children live in rural areas, where schools are striving, mostly unsuccessfully, to provide suitable education and suffer from a lack of qualified teachers and resources. 20% of rural children are also dying before they reach age 10, due to lack of medical facilities.

Computer training is not only a necessary skill that is needed but it is a favorite activity of the kids.

Imagine if, from this group, you could find those children who have the most suitable characteristics to become social entrepreneurs - the Ashoka Fellows of this world - and then you provided them with all the support that could be mustered for them to achieve this potential, or indeed another, should this be more suitable. They would become people with the knowledge of how best to tackle social issues, but from a rural standpoint and with a passion to work in the hard to negotiate rural settings.

Learning about Social Enterprise from Grace Aaya of Life in Africa

The Butterfly Project aims to find 6 gifted and talented young people, aged 11-15, equal gender mix, from each of the selected these rural or urban slum areas, provide them with internet access, mentoring from established social entrepreneurs, potentially pairing with counterparts from other countries through email contact, gather them together monthly for stimulus weekends, support them in developing their own social projects, offer internet chats in which they can participate, provide English language tuition, if needed and encourage them to develop their IT skills.

Gathering to debate and discuss current events in Uganda

Selection processes have been tested and enhanced through liaison with an NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children) consultant. Selection methodologies are chosen to ensure that they will not favour those who have been educated.

Funding for the project has to date been difficult to secure, although there has been no shortage of interest in the project, as its "inside out" approach, unashamedly focused around gifted and talented who also show leadership skills makes it unusual and probably unique. For now the project is being funded by Social Enterprise Africa and a few small donors.

The intention of the project is to provide an injection of highly capable people into rural and urban slum areas, who can be changemakers and perhaps ultimately Ashoka Fellows, or the equivalents.

The Uganda Butterfly Project is run by Ben Parkison.Follow him on facebook and enjoy the many photos posted on his page.

You can learn more about the Butterflies on ned.com