For the last two years, we have been training young people to become social entreprneneurs capable of changing their communities and we now have 30 young Ugandans, aged 12-18 ready to start becoming role models for their peers, implementing good things wherever they tread.

We know that young people respond better to their peers, because most of the young people in Africa have grown up with aspirations and hopes for their future.  The problem is that over time, many become disillusioned and when they realise they cannot beat the corruption, they choose to join it.

We teach our young people a whole range of things on the Butterfly Project:

- Vision development - this can range from "thinking skills" to giving broader experience of life, new food, new skills etc.

- Technology - we teach basic ICT, as a means of communication and every member is experienced now in internet, typing, but also how to use cameras and other gadgets

- Confidence building - this is a natural progression for young people, when they are given time and respect, but we also train in public speaking and give them a chance to meet important people

- Creative development - we believe that creativity is a key to becoming a good problem-solver and in Uganda many problems remain unsolved.  We train in Art, Music, but also complement initiative and self-starting skills

- Academic activities - we teach social enterprise, how to account well, how to manage a project and also ethics, as a subject.  Our members need good grounding before they start a project.

- Entrepreneurship - we involve members in entrepreneurial activities, such as chick-rearing, liquid soap manufacture, crafts and sales of art.

- Self-selected activities - we think its important for children to learn to self-determine in Uganda, when at school they rarely have input into activities.  So, we let them choose activities to do.

Respect is important and that is how we achieve the level of co-operation that we receive from our many members.  We really believe that they are the future of Uganda, a future which includes selflessness, proactivity and creativity.

TIPPING POINT

Centre rent (Annual) - $1350

Utilities (Electricity/water) - $1260

Internet costs - $540

Training costs (Food, travel to centre, materials) - $1800

Volunteer trainer costs - $1500

New 2nd hand laptops x 2 - $600

Fixing existing laptops x 2 - $300

ICT training certificates for 100 children - $150

TOTAL - $7500

$1350 will be used to fund the rent and $1260 the upkeep (electricity, water, rubbish collection) on the Chrysalis Centre, a building which has demonstrated itself to be very popular for more than 200 children in its locale, the Acholi Quarter, one of Kampala's roughest slum districts.  It is also the Headquarters of the Butterfly Project.  This is the absolute minimum that we need to raise, as we could find volunteers to keep our Centre open for advice and support to local children.

$1200 will also be used to cover the costs of having trainees at the Centre at weekends (Food, travel and materials) run activities for 30 young social entrepreneurs and the local community, allowing them to have their training, travel to the Centre, eat and sleep over at weekends, throughout the year.    $540 would cover internet for the year for all four computers on a network facility we already have.

We have allocated $1500 to cover volunteers' travel to and from the Centre, plus any costs of materials they have for running entrepreneurship (or any other type of) sessions.  For instance this year we ran a very successful pottery session, which required us to buy some local clay.

We need to fix three of our computers and acquire two new more recent laptops, totalling $1000.  This will enable our more experienced kids to run computer training for 100 local children unskilled in computing in the community.  We will also issue "Basic Skills Computing" certificates and the money will cover the cost of these.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Full time staffing costs - $4500

Small solar power system - $1875

Capital for member projects - $1800

Special trip costs - $900

Holiday residentials - $1500

Art materials - $375

TOTAL - $10950

We have three full-time staff at the centre and we also have to pay transport and upkeep for our volunteers.  We need to allocate $4,500 for this, if we are to reward and have staff fully committed to the project.

If we can raise more than a minimum, then $1875 will allow us to add a small solar power system to our Centre, which suffers from lack of power frequently. Our young people will be involved in the installation, so they can learn the skill of simple solar power installation.  The solar power will cover lighting and the computer network, so we do not lose internet, when there is no power.

Keeping the Centre open will allow us to continue all of the CLubs that we have been running for local children.  It is important that our members have a chance to lead their peers in activities and some money needs to be put aside for specific projects that our members would like to run themselves.  You can watch a short video about the project, featuring the kinds of projects currently underway - http://www.youtube.com/ChrysalisUganda - $1800 will be allocated to supporting member projects.  Since we have an existing art club, which has featured heavily at the last two Ugandan national arts festivals, we also allocate $375 specifically for art materials.

As part of developing vision, we take certain members to specific places.  For instance, this year we invested $200 in a visit to a fishfarm in Kasese.  The effect of this was to stimulate two members to develop plans for fishfarms in their home village.  One is to be in Congo, the other in Northern Uganda.  $900 will give us some capability for these type of more distant trips.

Lastly, as part of this section, we believe strongly in the power of the residentials that we have been running to orientate new members.  This allows existing members to demonstrate their projects to new young people and we have been amazed how the thinking of our visitors has changed almost overnight and new projects have been born.  These are week long residentials and we need to allocate $1500, in order for the costs of these - food, travel, activities - to be met for 7 days.

Sustainability is a crucial aspect.  Without having a means of income generation, then the project will require ongoing generosity from supporters.  We already run three small businesses for liquid soap, chick-rearing and we sell art pieces.  Most of the profits for these go directly to our members, though and so this year we are looking to develop a specific business to support the ongoing costs of all of our programmes.

SUSTAINABILITY

Seeds - $300

Transport van for melons - $5250

Motorocycle for agricultural support worker - $2250

Melon business staffing - $2250

Labour costs for the crops - $1500

TOTAL $11550

This year we are going to develop a melon farming business and we are going to extend this to the Chrysalis Centre as an opportunity for local children to sell melon slices to business people at lunchtime in Kampala.

We have already planted melon seeds, though we will need to plant more during the year, costing a minimum of $300.  This year we have had to hire a van for melon transport which has been costly.  So, we feel strongly that we need to acquire a transport van for the produce, which will cost $5250, as melon harvesting needs pinpoint timing.  Also, a motorcycle will help us keep track of the crop development and we are allocating $2250 for this vehicle.

We will need new and specialist staff for the farming, as melons need care and attention and we have allocated $2250 for these staff members, who will also drive the van and motorcycle.  Lastly, we are asking our members to donate their land for growing, which saves us substantial money, but also allows us to start to develop a relationship with villages.  However, we do need to pay village labourers for preparing land, planting, care of the crop and harvesting and for this we have allocated $1500.

With this start-up, we can be certain of generating sufficient income to run our Chrysalis Centre for Youth Empowerment into the future and we plan to open three more in 2013 and 2014 elsewhere in Uganda.