Alliances, Research & Advocacy
Changing the System, Not Just the Symptoms: Butterflies NGO's Work in Research, Alliances, and Advocacy
Direct service programs change lives. But to truly transform the future for marginalized children, the systems surrounding them must also change.
That is the mission behind Butterflies NGO’s Alliances, Research & Advocacy work — ensuring that lessons learned in the field translate into knowledge that shapes policy, strengthens other organizations, and amplifies children’s voices.
Research Rooted in the Voices of Youth
Butterflies operates a Research, Training and Advocacy Center (RTA) dedicated to studying issues affecting vulnerable children.
What makes the organization’s research distinctive is its commitment to listening directly to children.
Rather than relying only on the perspectives of social workers, police officers, or psychologists, Butterflies conducts extensive, anonymized, in-depth interviews with the youth themselves.
Research topics have included:
Children in conflict with the law
Sexual abuse of boys in India
Structural challenges faced by street-connected children
This methodology ensures that the findings reflect lived experiences rather than filtered observations.
As a result, Butterflies’ research has become a valuable resource for:
Policymakers
Practitioners
Child rights advocates
International organizations
Building Alliances That Multiply Impact
Butterflies understands that systemic change cannot happen in isolation.
Over decades of work, the organization has built strong alliances that expand its reach and influence.
Butterflies is a member of Family for Every Child (FFEC), a global alliance of grassroots civil society organizations operating in 37 countries.
It also founded or convened several collaborative networks, including:
Delhi Child Rights Club (DCRC) — a forum created by and for children
National Alliance of Grassroots NGOs (NAGN) — a coalition of organizations across India working collectively to advance children’s rights
Through these alliances, Butterflies participates in:
Collaborative advocacy initiatives
Joint research projects
Shared knowledge and training programs
Coordinated policy campaigns
Together, these networks create a collective force far stronger than any single organization.
Why This Work Matters
Advocacy and alliance-building often operate behind the scenes.
There are no dramatic before-and-after photos. No single moment of transformation.
But this work ensures that programs such as Butterflies’ Child Protection initiatives, Children’s Cooperatives, and vocational training programs do more than help individuals today.
They influence the systems that determine how children will be treated tomorrow.
When Butterflies publishes research on the sexual abuse of boys, it challenges harmful silence.
When it convenes national alliances of NGOs, it turns isolated voices into a unified movement.
When it advocates internationally for children's rights, it speaks for the street children of Delhi — and for millions more around the world.
Be Part of Systemic Change
If you believe in addressing root causes — not just symptoms — this work deserves your support.