Animal Rights Africa is based in South Africa and is the only animal rights organisation on the African continent. We gave ARA a grant in 2008 to support their Ubuntu project, which teaches young people to: Respect Yourself, Respect Others, Respect Nature.
The Ubuntu Club, which has strong anti-violence ethic principles, works towards the creation of a caring future society. Members, especially the leaders, are expected to be role models and are also taught leadership skills. It is patently obvious that, in a culture of violence, such as in South Africa today, animals and children, as well as women, are bearing the brunt at the hands of a still largely patriarchal society and this is intensified where there is gross poverty, lack of education and unemployment. The youth also have a sense of hopelessness for the future. Working with the youth at a young age and, as it were, creating ‘good gangs’ who care about all living beings, is a long-term project and with long-term, that is, permanent goals.
Not only are the lives of animals improved by teaching basic animal care, but the children are given a sense of self-worth and this goes some way towards combating violence as a whole. Through their outreach programmes the Ubuntu Youth ‘Peace Messengers’ have come to be admired by the community.
Beatrice told us ” There is no doubt that this progress could not have been obtained without the generous funding ARA received from Lush in 2008″.
To find out more about Animal Rights Africa, visit their website: www.animalrightsafrica.org
