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Who we are

Butterfly Works power or value lies in creating a world in which people have a say in the future they want. Where there are no boundaries between sectors so that together, we can take responsibility for a better world. Social change can only be achieved together with the people who experience it. That is why we see in everyone a co-creator of change.

In 1999, Emer Beamer, Hester Ezra and Ineke Aquarius foresaw the potential of digital developments for social change. They founded Butterfly Works and started a digital design training with 20 young people from the slums of Nairobi. Youth who had never seen a computer or touched a mouse before, were now creating logos and websites from scratch. The works were exhibited in the National Museum of Kenya and the project resulted in the Bits Academy – training thousands of youth across Africa and South Asia. Over the years, Butterfly Works has developed into a full-fledged social design studio, creating education and communication solutions with social impact across the world.

A butterfly's world is one without boundaries. Spreading seeds across long distances, they connect the places they visit, meaning that a small action by anyone can make a big difference everywhere. Some call this the Chaos Theory, others the Butterfly Effect; we call it Butterfly Works. The world may not be perfect, but look around and you will be overwhelmed by people's imagination, beauty and courage. It's these small treasures that form the seeds of change, and it is the thrill of their discovery that keeps us flying.