Women Making a Difference at Vegan Outreach!

March was Women’s History Month, and in this newsletter, I’m excited to share some amazing campaign successes by the women of Vegan Outreach in India and Vietnam. Scroll down to learn what inspired Astha Gupta to leave her city life and live with animals in a sanctuary and how Nija and Sarani inspired students to go vegan.

Bhavya and Sowndarya Help Companies Reduce Animal Product Consumption in India

In the last quarter, Tech Mahindra Ltd. implemented the Green Tuesday Initiative at their newly opened Pune campus. They’ve also added vegan milk options for their employees. Bhavya Vatrapu, our Senior Campaign Manager, India & Vietnam, has been working with the Tech Mahindra team since 2021. She aims to implement the campaign in all Tech Mahindra campuses across India. The change last quarter will replace ~53,000 kgs/116,845 pounds of chicken with plant-based food and make vegan milk accessible to 17,000 employees.

Left: Sowndarya Ganesan and Bhavya Vatrapu with Tech Mahindra Pune Zone Head, Vishy Shaligram; Right: We got served Soy lattes during our meeting.

First Green Tuesday Initiative Win in Vietnam!

In March, we had our first significant win in Vietnam. Trang Vương, our Green Tuesday Initiative Consultant, helped FPT Corporation add vegan options by replacing meat dishes in their cafeteria. FPT Corporation has implemented the campaign in their Ho Chi Minh City campus.  Read More about the success here!

Trang is a vegan advocate based in Ho Chi Minh City. She joined the Green Tuesday Initiative since January and will be working with corporations and educational institutions in Vietnam.

Nija and Sarani Inspire Students to Try Vegan!

Ninja Dhillon and Sarani Bhattacharya have inspired 8,593 students to try veganism in the last quarter. Nija, our Outreach Coordinator from Gujarat, organized 25 webinars in the first quarter of 2024 in the western states of India. Sarani Bhattacharya, a nutritionist turned activist, has been working in the eastern states of India and has also organized 11 webinars.

Why Astha Decided to Live in an Animal Sanctuary?

Astha Gupta, our Outreach Coordinator has been with Vegan Outreach since 2018 and has reached out to thousands of students through college outreach programs. Let’s hear why Astha moved her entire life to Kerala to live in an animal sanctuary.

Our staff is doing massive outreach to spread veganism, and every day brings us a step closer to ending animal suffering. Monthly giving helps us plan effectively.

Become a monthly sustainer.



With Gratitude, 

Richa Mehta

How we will help animals in India and beyond!

As we start the new year, we are reflecting on the impact of your support in 2023, and we’re excited to share our plans for 2024. Much like the leap year, we are determined to accomplish more!

Our Goals for 2024

  • Inspire 50,000 students to try the 10 Weeks to Vegan challenge.
  • Reduce 550,000 kg/1.2 million pounds of animal products from institutions in India and Vietnam.
  • Engage 150,000 people in vegan activities and spread awareness about speciesism.

Impact Your Support Created in 2023

  • 44,420 students took the 10 Weeks to Vegan challenge.
  • 3.8 million pounds of animal products were reduced by partnering with 15 new institutions.
  • 120,000 people participated in vegan activities.
  • Launched the Green Tuesday Initiative in Vietnam.

    • People Inspired by Our Work

    Thank you once again for your support. Want to learn more about our work? Write to us at [email protected].


    With Gratitude,

    Team Vegan Outreach India

BBQ Chickpea Plate

Portland Prasad BBQ Plate
BBQ Plate at Prasad in Portland

By Lisa Rimmert, Director of Development

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Portland for the first time, to meet with many wonderful Vegan Outreach donors there. Of course I had a long list of restaurants and shops to visit too, as everyone knows Portland is a haven of vegan goodness. I had some expected favorites, like Vtopian Artisan Cheese shop, Portobello, and a few others. But one place I ate surprised me and stood out.

Diane, an awesome VO donor, suggested Prasad, a little cafe inside a yoga studio, and I’m so glad she did. I ordered the BBQ Plate, made with barbecue chickpeas, jalapeño cornbread, millet, and steamed greens with jalapeño cashew cheese. It was one of my favorite meals in Portland, and that’s really saying something!

When I arrived home in Denver, I knew I had to recreate the meal. I made a couple changes due to laziness–using buckwheat instead of millet, because I had that on hand, and not including jalapeños in the cashew cheese. It was delicious! I made the dish for my parents, too, using farrow as the grain, and without nutritional yeast (a vegan sin, I know, but it’s hard to find where they live in rural Illinois!). It was delicious once again! I hope you make it and enjoy it even half as much as I did!

BBQ Chickpeas & Kale

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 cups dry buckwheat, farro or rice
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews*
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup plant milk, unsweetened
  • 1 bunch of kale
  • 2 cans chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp oil for frying
  • 2 Tbsp oil for sauteing
  • 1/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

Preparation:

  1. Cook the buckwheat, farro, or rice according to directions.
  2. Blend cashews* thoroughly in a food processor with the nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic, and half of the milk. Add more milk as needed so it’s smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, rinse the kale in a strainer, squeeze out the water, and remove stems. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
  4. Heat a large frying pan on medium and add a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the kale. Stir as needed until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  5. Return pan to medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil, and when hot add the drained chickpeas. Stir so they don’t stick and when heated through stir in the bbq sauce and turn off pan.
  6. Serve the kale and chickpeas over the grains with the cashew cream sauce drizzled on top.

*It’s best, but not required, to use soaked cashews. They can be covered in water and soaked overnight in the fridge, or quick-soaked in the microwave, on the stovetop, or covered with boiling water. Let stand for 20 minutes before draining and using.

Tips for Tabling

By Lori Stultz, Outreach Coordinator

Last week, in celebration of students’ return to school, the folks at Vegan Outreach offered a few helpful pointers for leafleting.

Today we wanted to discuss a similar form of activism: tabling. Like leafleting, tabling can be an effective way for students to educate others about factory farming and other animal abuse related issues. It provides a great platform to engage in conversation and offer information and advice on how others can most effectively help prevent animal suffering. That is, through reduction of their meat and dairy consumption.

Most often, tabling is done as a group activity (perhaps with an animal advocacy group on campus), but it can also be done solo. Before setting up a table on campus, though, you will need to check in with the campus student activities center to find out where and when you can table on campus. Many campuses have designated locations and times that are acceptable for tabling.

Whether you’re by yourself or with a group of animal-loving friends, your information will be more compelling if you keep these things in mind:

Appearance and Displays

  • Personal appearance is crucial! Instead of dressing in counterculture attire, which may send the message to your audience that your worldview is radically different from theirs, dress conservatively. Be clean and well-groomed. This will prevent your audience from assuming that you’re not relatable.
  • Make sure your visual displays clearly and simply relay your message. Think big pictures and big words—limit the amount of small text on your display.
  • Limit your available materials to one or two issues. Don’t overwhelm your audience by offering literature on five or six different issues. And when laying literature out on the table, fan it in a straight row (instead of a semi-circle). This detail may seem insignificant, but it will drastically increase the rate at which your audience picks up the literature and reads it.

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Conversation

  • Actively listen to your audience members. Acknowledge their valid points and observations and ask thought-provoking questions. Find issues that you agree on (common ground). They are much more likely to listen if you’re coming from a place of commonality instead of difference.
  • If your audience says they are unable to make a lifestyle change (e.g., “I could never give up meat” or “I could never afford to go vegan/vegetarian”), offer your personal experience of the lifestyle changes they are concerned about. For example, if someone claims that he or she could never give up meat, you could respond by saying, “I used to feel the same way, and at first, I just cut back on meat. Now that I’m vegan, I’ve found that I really don’t miss meat. In fact, I feel good about my diet and am more at peace with the world around me.”
  • Refrain from getting into an argument. Some audience members may try to start an argument by saying something rude or obnoxious. They are usually doing this because they are uncomfortable with their own emotions in relation to the topic. Therefore, rather than reacting hastily, simply smile and wish them a good day. Remember that you’re the spokesperson for the animals.

Keeping these points in mind will ensure a successful tabling experience! And be sure to visit the Vegan Outreach website to find accurate and useful information regarding animal-related issues and tips for how to go veg. You can also order literature to use at your table through our website!

 

Helping Animals in Vietnam | Amplifying Impact in India

I’m delighted to share that our India team has successfully reached 90% of our annual goals for both the Green Tuesday Initiative and the Adopt A College program. Our focus has been on expanding and amplifying our impact. Here’s how we’ve been accomplishing these objectives

Expanding the Green Tuesday Initiative to Vietnam


We are pleased to announce the expansion of our Green Tuesday Initiative to Vietnam. Over the past six years, we’ve successfully replaced 3.3 million pounds of animal products with plant-based alternatives in India, and we are hopeful to create a similar impact in Vietnam as well.

Our Plan of Action:

  • We started working with over 100 educational institutions and corporations in Vietnam, advocating for the implementation of the Green Tuesday Initiative on their campuses.
  • We are also working to partner with local publications to promote our message and increase the visibility of our campaign.
  • Our goal is to reduce the consumption of 44,000 pounds of animal products by the end of 2023.lso working to partner with local publications to promote our message and increase the visibility of our campaign.

    We Are Now Presenting our Webinars in Six Languages!


    Ajith K, our outreach coordinator with Karnataka State Akkamahadevi Women’s University students, on August 04, 2023. He delivers the webinar in English and Kannada languages.

    Key Highlights:

  • Over 17,000 students signed up for our 10 Weeks to Vegan series last quarter.
  • We organized Adopt A College webinars in over 40 universities and colleges.
  • Our multilingual approach is amplifying our impact––ensuring that our message resonates with a diverse audience. We now deliver our webinars in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada, and Malayalam.

    Meet Sarani Bhattacharya (Pronounced as Sha-ro-ni) (She/her)


    Sarani is a passionate plant-based nutritionist dedicated to promoting a compassionate and sustainable lifestyle. She joined Vegan Outreach as an outreach coordinator, and during her first three months, she has already inspired 7,000 students to try the 10 Weeks to Vegan program.

    Thank you for helping us create a compassionate world for animals. Your support allows us to maximize our impact. Kindly consider becoming a monthly sustainer to enable us to reach our full potential and expand the scope and reach of our programs

    Become Our Monthly Sustainer



    With gratitude,

    Richa Mehta,
    Director of Programs, India

    • Soy coffees in corporates | 23K+ students trying vegan

    In the second quarter of 2023, our programs in India have reached new milestones, thanks to your unwavering support. Here are some exciting updates:

    456,790 kgs/ 1,007,050 Pounds of Animal Products Reduced!

  • We have reached 91% of our annual goal with 6 more months to go!
  • We reduced 88,400 kgs/194,889 pounds of paneer and 263,940 liters of milk, marking the highest dairy reduction achieved in a quarter. Tech Mahindra agreed to reduce 18,200 kgs/ 40,124 pounds of paneer and 136,500 liters of milk in the second phase of reductions. They will also offer soy milk to their staff as an alternative to milk.

  • We are also excited to share that we will soon launch the Green Tuesday Initiative in Vietnam, expanding our impact further.

    Our Latest Successes

    23,000+ Students Are Now Trying Vegan

  • 23,664 students signed up for the 10 Weeks to Vegan challenge through our Adopt a College webinars.
  • Collaborated with 800+ colleges and organized 76 webinars to raise awareness about animal rights, shedding light on the issue of speciesism.

    Learn More

    Meet Nija

    Nija Dillon has joined the India Outreach team as the Outreach Coordinator of Gujarat. With her dedication, she has successfully signed up 6,971 students to our 10 Weeks to Vegan program and organized engaging Food Planet Health awareness webinars with more than 100 colleges. Nija’s commitment to creating positive change is truly inspiring.

    Your support has been instrumental in enabling us to hire the right talent and to achieve these remarkable milestones. Help us make an even greater impact by becoming a monthly donor—monthly gifts help save more animals all year long.

    Become Our Monthly Sustainer



    With gratitude,

    Richa Mehta,
    Director of Programs, India

    • Vegan Ceviche

    Pura Vida, Costa Rica!

    We’re so excited to share with you that we’ve just launched our newest 10 Weeks to Vegan program for Latin America, Semanario Vegano Costa Rica! With the support of local activists, it has been possible to create a culturally relevant program that will provide support to those who want to give veganism a try. Here is a vegan take on a traditional fish-based dish!


    The original version of this is made with soursop, which is native to tropical areas of the Americas. Since it is difficult to find in the United States, we have substituted oyster mushrooms. Let us know what you think!

    Ingredients:

    • 250 grams of chipped oyster mushrooms (approx 2-1/2 cups)
    • 1 pepper
    • 1 medium white onion
    • 1 medium purple onion
    • A handful of cilantro (coriander)
    • The juice of 5-6 limes
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 teaspoon of olive oil
    • Avocado, chili pepper, and crackers

    Directions:

    Start by slicing the mushrooms in a shape that you like, finely chop the onions, and the sweet pepper, dice the cilantro and place everything in a bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste and mix well. Squeeze the juice of 5-6 limes—it should be enough to cover part of the ingredients. Make sure everything is well mixed and let the ceviche bowl sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, this will intensify the flavor. Once you’re ready to eat it, add avocado on top and eat it with crackers.

    Tip:

    You can also change the base of this recipe with chickpeas, hearts of palm (palmitos), cauliflower, or texturized vegetable protein (TVP). If you miss the taste of seafood, try adding chopped seaweed, you’ll notice that this will make a huge difference!

    Our Best Q1 so Far, and Here’s Why!

    I’m excited to update you about the first quarter of 2023. We did webinars with 200 colleges, reduced 220,462 pounds of meat and dairy through Green Tuesday successes, organized workshops for our GT partners, and more!

    We can inspire more vegans and end animal agriculture with your support. Become our monthly sustainer today!
    Donate Today

    200 Colleges Joined the Food Planet Health Webinar Sessions!


    In the last quarter, our outreach team organized three outreach tours in three different states of India and educated students about speciesism.

  • 200 colleges participated in the webinars.
  • 6000+ students joined the 10 Weeks to Vegan program.

    Learn more

    Our Green Tuesday Initiative Successes

    Hyderabad EV week:

    We partnered with Hyderabad EV Week, a kickoff week before the Hyderabad Grand E Prix. Plant-based food was served at their marquee events, such as Rall-E Hyderabad, EV Summit, and the Mobility startup challenge.

    Q1 Pondicherry tour is a success:

    Pondicherry University(PU), one of India’s most prominent universities, will reduce 125,002 pounds of chicken and 104,168 pounds of dairy consumption annually.

    PCRM collaboration with Green Tuesday Initiative:
    Hundreds of employees from Tech Mahindra and Incture Technologies joined the workshop organized by Green Tuesday and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine(PCRM).

    Our Latest Successes

    Building an Online Community for New Vegans!

    In the last quarter, our outreach team organized three outreach tours in three different states of India and educated students about speciesism.

  • The 10 Weeks to Vegan website helped more than 11,000 people with resources and information about veganism.
  • Our online communities on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram are helping more than 5,000 people in their transition.

    We could do all these only because of you. Thank you for supporting our important work. Share our newsletter within your network and inspire your friends to help animals!

    Share it over email



    With gratitude,

    Richa Mehta,
    Director of Programs, India

    • Pasta With White Sauce

    By Frederico Maciel de Mello

    I’m not a super cook so I like easy recipes. Here is one of my favorites.

    Ingredients:

    • 4 tablespoons of vegan butter or olive oil (with vegan butter it is much tastier)
    • 4 tablespoons of wheat flour
    • 500 ml of cashew nut milk (you can use unsweetened milk, but cashew nut milk is great because it has a neutral flavor)
    • Salt, black pepper and nutmeg to taste.

    Directions:

    •  In a heated pan put the butter and let it melt. Add the flour and stir for about 2 minutes with the help of a spoon or spatula
    • Add the milk all at once and, with the help of a wire whisk, mix well until it boils
    • Put the fire down and let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time
    • Finally, season generously with nutmeg, salt and black pepper
    • Yields approximately 400 grams of sauce
    • Add to your favorite pasta and enjoy!