Animal Fan Clubs initiated in India through the partnership of the Center with Yuvsatta
On January 30th, 2025, Helen Woodward Animal Center in collaboration with Yuvsatta (Youth for Peace) helped inaugurate 4 school Animal Fan Clubs as a part of a new project to expose children to humane education. This project was the culmination of months of the two organizations building a relationship and sharing knowledge about ways to get youth involved in advocacy and nonviolence practice.
And since ancient times, reverence and compassion for animals have been woven into India’s cultural motif. All major religions in India uphold these beliefs. But laws alone will not protect the rights of animals in India, humane education programmes like the proposed ‘Animal Fans Clubs’ have the potential to help plant the seed of compassion and justice for all animals early in children’s hearts.”
In October 2024, Haylee Blake the Associate Director of Education and Jacqueline Kelleher the Ambassador to the United Nations for Helen Woodward Animal Center, traveled to Chandigarh, India, to participate in the 17th Global Youth Peace Festival hosted by Pramod Sharma, the found of Yuvsatta. During this event, they were able to connect with countless youth through their presentations on how compassion for animals promotes nonviolence and advocacy. This was the start of the relationship overseas that would turn into the wonderful inauguration of Animal Fan Clubs in India.
Mr. Manish Hablani, Principal of the New Public School in Chandigarh joined Chief Guest Mr. Saurabh Kumar to present the affiliation certificates of Animal Fan Clubs to four institutions: New Public School, GD Goenka Public School, Dev Samaj College of Education, Chandigarh and Kitabghar – a center to empower marginalized girls which Yuvsatta is jointly running with support of Carmel Convent School & CCPCR-Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights. In the week following the initial inauguration ceremony, KIIT World School located in Gurugram also decided to join the Animal Fan Clubs program.
Each of the clubs will be named after a special and distinctive animal and just a couple they have chosen to highlight include: an inspiring dog and the late son of Jacqueline Kelleher whose name was Cooper, and the Kitabghar girls named their club after the ‘Snow Leopard’, as Snow leopard is guardian of Himalayas. Helen Woodward Animal Center has offered each club an opportunity to take advantage of an individualized virtual meeting with a staff member of ours so that they feel united with our mission and can drive the same values that we share here at the Center.
In February 2025, Animal Fan Club students will present Thank You Cards to the staff and workers at Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandigarh Bird Park, Butterfly Garden & Chhatbir Zoo. This is to honor them and say ‘Thank You’, to the unsung heroes at these places, who work day and night to protect the natural habitats for the insects, butterflies, bird species, and the voiceless animals.
As the future guardians of our planet, it’s so important for kids to learn about the joy of treating animals with kindness and giving them the care they need. By teaching them about animal care, we’ll not only set the stage for a more compassionate and responsible relationship between humans and animals but will also ensure a sustainable world. Pramod Sharma of Yuvsatta assured his full support to promote this unique idea among all the schools and colleges of the city.
The photo to the right and the video below are excerpts from Indian Media outlets sharing the news about the collaboration of Yuvsatta and Helen Woodward Animal Center to create these ‘Animal Fan Clubs’. Read more about this partnership via a press release prepared by Yuvsatta here: ‘Gold-Star School Alliance Animal Fan Clubs’ in the Schools & Colleges, Yuvsatta, India & HWAC, USA
