Our Projects
Schools for Children in Squatter Communities
With the growing perils of climate change and a shifting global economy, thousands of Nepalese are fleeing their villages to move into urban slums. These neighborhoods lack proper shelter, sanitation, water resources, and safe living conditions. Many residents are vulnerable to being trafficked and many work as trash pickers. We helped build a school and community center in Kathmandu's largest squatter community. We provide the children with gifted teachers and tutors, and we are in regular contact with their parents to ensure their commitment to the education of their children. Along with academic subjects, we teach art, song, dance and more. Going forward, we will create educational and recreational programs for adults in the evenings.
Trafficked Victims Write Their Stories
We believe that writing your life stories helps make sense of your experiences and builds greater self-knowledge. This self-knowledge empowers individuals to make positive life choices. We run writing workshops for victims of trafficking, helping them to take back their life stories and to move forward with strength, courage, and grace. With their permission, we are working on publishing their stories. All proceeds of their books will provide continued help and healing for vulnerable women and children.
Public Speaking and Empowerment Workshops
We run public speaking workshops for students as well as adults. We seek to help people find their voices and to form the confidence needed to express their thoughts and ideas to others, whether in a casual, academic, or professional setting. We do a number of exercises that help speakers to organize their ideas, gain confidence, develop their body language, voice, and meaningful expression. We cover all types of communication and guide participants so that they feel confident and empowered, enabling them to express themselves with certainty, strength, and an open mind.
Nepal's First Trauma-Informed School
The Blue Butterfly Foundation has recently teamed up with one of its partners, Asha Nepal, to create the first school with a trauma-informed curriculum in Nepal. We work with children who are too traumatized to excel in regular school. We assess and monitor each child's history and special needs. We then work one-on-one with each, helping them to thrive in areas where they otherwise struggle. With social workers, therapists, and teachers on staff, we honor the growth of the whole child, including their emotional, spiritual and academic health. We also work closely with the child's parents and siblings to help heal dysfunctional patterns and to enhance family life.
Citizen Journalism
We run journalism workshops to help those with challenging jobs like social work to speak for the voiceless with the power and dignity they deserve. We are creating a blog, magazine, and books in order to share their experiences throughout the world. We hope to arouse people’s interests by hearing these stories, encouraging everyone to become more engaged in their communities and the wider world.
Teacher Training
We provide teacher training sessions to teachers at all levels, encouraging a student-centered approach that is holistic in nature and stimulates students mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We create lessons and projects that help students think more critically about their society and the world. We provide sample lesson plans and help teachers invent new paradigms in the classroom. Using neuroscience and the most up-to-date research, we focus on the different learning styles, developing intrinsic motivation and self-reliance. Overall, we seek to foster curious, creative and confident lifelong learners.
For-Profit Orphanages
Tragically, orphanages have become a business in Nepal. We have discovered numerous orphanages using vulnerable children to gain donations from well-meaning people throughout the world. Many of these children are mistreated and are disabled or have special needs. Our goal is to take over these orphanages and ensure that all children are being cared for with dignity and love.
Human Rights
We provide inspiring, interactive workshops in human rights to students of all ages, helping them to understand what it means to live in a democracy and engage with societal institutions. After the workshops, we help the students create "human rights clubs" in their schools. We provide materials, ongoing assistance and lots of encouragement. We also help to connect them with students around the world, as well as empower them to start projects with community partners. We challenge students to wrestle with difficult issues and to have some fun!
Community Centers for Children Living in Tent Cities
Since the earthquakes this spring, thousands of Nepalese children are living in "Tent Cities." These tent cities lack proper shelter, sanitation, water resources, and safe living conditions. We seek to provide two community centers for children living in these precarious situations. These centers will be constructed with safe materials and offer nourishment and educational programs. Help us create a safe environment for these beautiful children!