Rita Panicker, Founder and Director of Butterflies was awarded the prestigious 2020 International Cooperative Innovation Award by the Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC), USA.  The International Cooperative Innovation Award is given annually by OCDC, to an individual or individuals who champion, advocate, and promote effective, sustainable international cooperative development in a remarkable way.

Butterflies, a registered voluntary organisation, based in Delhi, India, has been working with the most vulnerable group of children, especially street and street connected children since 1989.  In 2001, Butterflies launched the Children’s Development Khazana (CDK), a life-skills education programme to educate children on democratic values and financial management. CDK is a cooperative managed and owned by children. It has a membership of over 40,000 children between the ages of eight and 18 and is operational in seven countries. 

Rita Panicker has been recognized for her courage and creativity to develop innovative and participatory model to meet the needs of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. OCDC will make a $1,000 contribution to Butterflies in Rita’s honor. The video of her getting the award can be viewed here.