 ANCHORING FOR JUSTICE

Butterflies is a programme of street and working children that has been operating since January 1988, in the Union Territory of Delhi. It has a team of Street Educators who initiate contact with street children, through regular visits and meetings. `Bal Sabha' (Childrens' Council) are held every fortnight at each of Butterflies' eight contact points. In these, children voice their concerns which could in time build into a "children's movement". They discuss issues such as police harassment, non-payment of wages, drug addiction, gambling, health care and education. The Street Educators also extend counseling services for disturbed children. Butterflies aims at identifying street children who could over time take on the task of Street Child Educators.

The organisation is in touch with about 800 children. All activities are carried out in the open - at street comers, parks, marketplaces and bus stations. The target group is 8 to 17 years old. Butterflies has a restaurant run by street children and is gradually moving towards forming a cooperative. The ultimate aim

is to organise children. Butterflies started its slum projects in October 1991, the objective being to prevent the slum children from becoming street children. The organisation entered the community with the aim of achieving 100 per cent literacy. It aims to gradually in- clude health concepts and facilitate the community to initiate a com- munity fund, which could be used for various development needs of the community.

Butterflies believes that the street children are the youngest and the most vulnerable inhabitants of every growing city. While they struggle for survival frequently through hazardous occupations and always in exploitative situations serving the cities and its citizens, they are never recognized and are always considered a nuisance and la- belled as delinquents. Under difficult circumstances they acquire skills of survival, and are endowed innately with the spirit to succeed, capable of blossoming if given the understanding, opportunity and space to grow. The girls struggle harder under severe ex- ploitative conditions. There are innumerable cases of physical and sexual exploitation of girls.

The Objectives

To EMPOWER street children with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their rights as children and provide them the necessary support and assistance for reinstatement in their families where possible and help them develop as respected and productive citizens.

To USE Convention on the Rights of the Child as a major too[ for ensuring Government and Public accountability towards the well-being of all vulnerable children.

To ORGANIZE support services in the fulfillment of the street children's basic needs such as Non-formal Education, Health Care and Recreation.

To HELP and protect them from exploitation.

To ORGANISE children for collective action.

NETWORKING WITH like-minded organisations concerned with Social Development and Children's Rights.

BUTTERFLIES, NEW DELHI

Butterflies believes in the right of every child to have a full- fledged childhood where he/she has the right to Protection, Respect, Opportunities, and Participation in his/her own growth and development. The organisation strives to equip these children with creativity, their value of freedom their spirit to venture, their courage to handle the difficult present and the unknown future, their wisdom and knowledge of life, a spirit of sharing, and skills to lead.

The organisation believes in establishing a trusting relationship based on equity and respect. All the programmes and activities are planned and discussed with children at the Bal Sabha (Children's Council) who participate in planning most of their activities. They also contribute materially for all their activities. Children honour their commitments and participate in the planned activity with a feeling that is their programme and therefore they have to make it a success.

The street educators are a part of subject specific working groups. Each working group plans out their syllabus, keeping in mind the needs of the children. The topics are identified to suit not just the age of a child but the maturity of the children and the bottom line is that children must gain from that knowledge which would help them to survive on the street better.

Butterflies faces many problems in their endeavour to restore the rights of street children. They face harrassment from the police as well as from the local thugs who exploit these children in order to satisfy their selfish motives. Another problem is that the street children being a floating population, it is very difficult to have a constant group to interact with, monitor and evaluate. The Butterflies had to struggle a lot to free these children from the clutches of alcoholism, drug addiction, drug peddling and gambling. The organisation had also encountered interference from the parents of these children who use to harrass them, especially the girls, for money.

Butterflies is committed to establish the child's identity as a legitimate one. The organisation would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to sensitise all concerned authorities to the special needs of the street children and convince them that these children are not offenders but are working children. The long term goals of Butterflies are to sensitise parents and the community on the issue of street children, and to prevent the breakdown of families, which often forces children to leave home and to involve the street children actively in the quest for better living conditions for them.