Tag Archives: vegetarian

Girls Who Are Changing the World: The Women of Animal Aid

9 Dec

Having just finished Week 2 volunteering at Animal Aid Unlimited in Udaipur, Rajasthan (India) I am completely in awe of the incredible staff that runs this amazing hospital and sanctuary.  Though the ENTIRE staff should (and will) be recognized for their beautiful work, the women of Animal Aid are this week’s Girls Who Are Changing The World.

Erika Abrams founded Animal Aid with her husband Jim about 15 years ago.  They moved to a small village close to Udaipur from Seattle to create a haven for the un-owned street animals of India.  Though neither of them had veterinary experience, they had a love of animals and a passion to help them.  Along with their daughter Claire, they settled here and haven’t looked back.

“As they deepened roots and their understanding of how things work here, they learned that in most cities in India there are no hospitals or shelters for un-owned animals. The government veterinary facilities are aimed toward milk production and animal farming.”

Claire spoke fairly good Hindi by the time she was 10 and has been an ambassador for animals in schools throughout the area.  She began doing slideshows at the age of 15, giving presentations to inform kids what Animal Aid does and why their work is so important.  She also conducts vegan outreach activities in the community.  I like to watch her with the animals.  She gives unconditional love to every one.

Claire giving love to Octopus, a deformed & handicapped dog.

Trudy is the Volunteer Coordinator.  She’s basically my boss and one of the coolest chicks you will ever meet!  She gives tours to visiting groups and assigns the volunteers their jobs.  She knows the place inside and out.  She also has a huge passion for animals like I have never seen.  It is a pleasure to get to work with her every day!

*Photo by Erika Sidor

Then there is the female staff of Animal Aid: Radha, Dhapu, Manju & Kamla.  Each of them has their specialty.  Radha and Dhapu are in charge of pups.  I’m positive that the puppies think Dhapu is their momma the way they follow her around and cry when she leaves their sight for a second! Manju is the woman in charge of cleaning and let me tell you with the 100+ animals at the hospital, it’s a NON-STOP job!

Then there is Kamla who is probably my favorite person in the world!  You only have to be in her presence for a minute before you know that she is someone extraordinary.  Kamla’s main job is physical therapy and massage for the handicapped dogs.  She has gotten many of the paralyzed dogs gain more mobility with her healing ways.  Not only that, but there are at least 2 dogs that have made a full recovery thanks to her.  She is magical.  And probably one of the most joyous people you will ever meet!

Last but not least, there are the female volunteers of Animal Aid.  In my 2 weeks, there have been quite a few people who have come through to spend time helping the hospital.  99% of them girls!  Some come for a day or 2 and some come for weeks/months at a time.  Julie O’Neill has been coming to Animal Aid for 6 years.  The first time she came, she only planned on a week and stayed for a year!  Since then she’s been coming for several months at a time, living in a nearby village and spending every day working at the hospital.  Her dedication to helping the world is inspiring!  Julie definitely deserves her own GCTW post one day highlighting her amazing adventures in volunteering all over the world!

All the women of Animal Aid go above and beyond to help animals in need on a daily basis.  I am completely honored to get to be in their divine presence every day.  Thank you all so much for inspiring me and making me a better person!

♥∞

~B

  Follow B on Twitter in India: @iamsunshine78

**If you know a super rad girl that you would like to nominate for our ‘Girls Who Are Changing the World’ feature, send them to us at: loveinfinitelyproject@gmail.com

Going Veg

21 Aug

I took the leap. I’m a vegetarian (in training).

Here’s the back story: Two years ago I made the decision to stop eating red meat. For as long as I can remember, I dreaded steak night, ground beef didn’t appeal to me, either did anything made with ground beef. For years, I went along eating those meals, but never enjoying the food I was putting into my body. I grew up being told that what my parents put on the table for dinner I had to eat. They raised me to be grateful for the food I have, which I am, but I eventually realized that I could choose what I wanted to eat.

Fast forwarding a couple of years: I have a completely new circle of friends, many of which are vegetarians or vegans. They show their compassion for animals and love for life in everything they do. I hear my new circle new speak about and support remarkable causes which made me extremely interested in their veg lives. I took it upon myself to research these causes, read articles about vegetarian/veganism, and watch documentaries related to the food industry. My eyes and my mind were wide open, and for the first time I truly asked myself, “What am I eating?”

Jessica was the first person I told about my decision to become a vegetarian. I wrote her a long, unorganized email asking for every bit of advice she could provide. What she doesn’t know is how nervous I was to send the email.  Now, Jess and I met through Brenda and Love Infinitely, we spoke occasionally on twitter and in mass email messages, and anything I knew about her I learned through her blog. Basically, I was compelled to tell this girl I barely knew that I decided to go veg and I wanted her help. She replied with the biggest congratulations ever! I was now stoked about my decision. Thanks to Jess and Steph, going veg was easier than I ever expected.

What hasn’t been easy is telling people outside of my veg circle that I no longer eat meat. People are confused about my decision and often I hear, “You ate meat your entire life…” It’s not about what I did, but how I am choosing to shape my future. I didn’t realize changing my diet would be the easy part. Informing others of my decision is the most trying part of my veg journey, but I’m ready world and I won’t give up.

Blessed by the universe, as I began to write the previous paragraph Liz’s daughter, Ivy tweeted a personal quote that applies to my current situation.

Thank you Ivy for your inspiring words, Jessica and Stephanie for your continued advice, and my new, amazing circle of friends for all the love you give. I’m grateful for each and every one of you.

xxNoelle

Noelle in NYC  Follow Noelle on Twitter: @NoelleBobo