Young Filipina Advocates to Look Out For
I’m Althy, I work as Operations Associate for Fish Welfare Initiative. My advocacy journey started in 2020, when a hen supposedly meant for food became our family’s pet— Henny became my pandemic best friend. I would hang out with her and read about chickens on the internet, and I learned a lot about their personalities and what makes them happy, sad, or nervous.
Why do you think it’s important to advocate for farmed animals?
People find it hard to empathize with farmed animals because they are often viewed as commodities and not as living beings with thoughts and feelings. Advocating for farmed animals is the first step in creating a more compassionate world where their well-being is acknowledged and cared for.
What farmed animal advocacy or plant-based initiatives are you currently doing or planning to do?
I currently work for Fish Welfare Initiative, a charity that collaborates with fish farmers, corporations, and the government in India to improve the welfare of farmed fish, specifically the Indian major carp species, as much as possible.
What is your message to other farmed animal advocates, especially the women and young girls?
Always remember that a little bit of anything goes a long way! Today you could be volunteering in an organization, attending an educational talk about farmed animal advocacy, or taking small steps towards a plant-based diet, and it might feel like it’s too small for all the animals you’d like to help. Still, while you didn’t change the world overnight, you changed a little part of it for the better!
Althy