SUSTAINING BUTTERFLY PROJECT – an update

It was wonderful to see the faces of children and care takers again at the Anganwadis (day care centers) during a visit to Chennai in August 2009.  Most of the children are now attending government schools. After the tsunami in December 2004, the first place we visited was Chennai, India, the birthplace of our Butterfly Project.

We visited several Anganwadis which were destroyed by the enormous wave that crashed on their world. They were in an absolute horrible condition. Our Foundation continues to monitor, sustain and evaluate the status of the anganwadis. Most have now been repaired or re-built, but still they need our help.

Anganwadi Centres are pre-school and counselling centres run by the Social Welfare Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu for children and mothers of economically backward sections. Each centre has between 20 and 30 children in the 2.5 to 5+ years age group who stay for about 6 to 7 hours at the centre. They are provided with a meal at noon, pre-school activities as well as basic health check-ups and care.

Hope is Life Foundation is mainly focused on children currently attending day care centers in Royapuram area in Chennai. There are about 96 day care centers. Children who come to these centers are from very poor families; parents are fishermen, street vendors or daily laborers. One meal is provided by the government. In addition to a meal each child get a boiled egg. Health and nutrition education is also given to the mothers.

Many of these centers need help. They need educational materials and toys. Some centers need gas stoves and cookers. Currently, some centers use firewood to cook one daily meal inside and the children suffer from heavy smoke and black carbon soot. This is not healthy to breathe. Our goal is to provide a healthy way of cooking for these children in these 37 day care centers.

The Butterfly Project is based on the philosophy that we are all capable of transformation. The project involves supplying these poor children with developmentally appropriate educational materials and training. One of the most important parts of the program is for the teachers to become aware of the steps involved in their transformation to becoming better teachers. They learn how to self evaluate their own growth and development. By doing this, the teachers also learn how to help their students similarly transform and reach their individual learning potentials. Therefore, the Butterfly Project not only involves a transformation process for the teachers but also for the students, their families and their communities.

Gas stove costs $25 each and the cooker costs $30 each. A set of educational materials and wooden toys cost $60 per center.

Staff and care takers of the Day Care Centers in Royapuram district in Chennai, S. India are seen with                          Nat Yogachandra of Hope is Life Foundation.

Currently, in about 50 day care centers, they use firewood to cook one daily meal inside and the                             children suffer from heavy smoke and black carbon soot.

Each center has about 40 to 50 children

A group of children