Butterfly North

Butterfly North is the successor to the ongoing Butterfly Projects in Kampala and Lyantonde. This time the project will have four elements:
1. Recruitment of Butterfly members from village areas in Kitgum and Lamwo districts of Northern Uganda
2. Schooling of those members in a specialist social entrepreneurship school, known as the Chrysalis School
3. Training of the Butterfly Members at the Chrysalis Centre
4. Accommodation and living needs at the Chrysalis House

The objectives of Butterfly North are as follows:
- To find and train young people with the capability to become Changemakers and social entrepreneurs.
- To train capable "Butterfly" social entrepreneurs from young people living in the most disadvantaged places in Uganda, who can be role models to their peers
- To prove to the outside world that, given a chance and some early support, capable young Ugandans can be the mechanism of change in their home areas
- To demonstrate the potential of the Butterfly Project to tackle specific social issues, such as the impacts of war in Northern Uganda. Kitgum was chosen specifically for this reason
- To develop awareness of social enterprise in Uganda amongst young people and establish a movement amongst youth to be more socially and environmentally aware in their business development
- To develop a network of mentors and interested parties overseas, that are prepared to advise Butterfly young social entrepreneurs and support their work as they grow up

Members are recruited from the most disadvantaged parts of Uganda, simply because they know the issues of their home areas and thus are best placed to develop that change, when they grow up.

Northern Uganda is still heavily-impacted by war. Local culture is still aid-focused, despite the rich resources and land available to local people. Entrepreneurship is uncommon, as there is little money available locally to buy products and services. Social enterprise is rarer still in a region wracked by poverty.

The project believes that one person can make a difference in an area and selfless entrepreneurs, if supported, can be the architects of prosperity even in remote villages. However, children recruited need to be chosen carefully to be capable of developing a vision, to have a heart for their community and a desire for learning outside the traditional school curriculum.

By developing a separate school nearby to the existing Chrysalis Centre and accommodation, the project can ensure that school and social entrepreneurship training work hand in hand. Read more