The Atlas Vegan Community School, the first primary school in Uganda based in Rwamagabo Village, has won the Compassionate School Award from TeachKind, PETA’s humane education division. The award consists of a $1,000 donation, and a box of free teaching materials,
Founded by the African vegan charity LUV 4 ALL, Atlas Vegan Community School helps local children eat in a way that avoids speciesism. The curriculum is especially relevant to Uganda, which “sleeping sickness” (a tropical disease caused by parasitic protozoans that are transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly and spread easily on animal farms) and the climate catastrophe driven by the animal agriculture industry, have hit harder than other countries.
According to its website, LUV 4 ALL “stands for Oneness of ALL beings on Earth. A Universal LOVE, where ALL living beings are equally valued, loved, protected and FREE in this world. We are ALL interconnected. We are all one, living in different bodies. All animals, human and non-human, feel fear, hope, loneliness, joy, pain and love. This concept, which may be new to some, is as old as time.”
Marta Holmberg, PETA Senior Director of Youth Programs, said, “TeachKind is delighted to honour Uganda’s first vegan school for showing students how to build a kinder, healthier, better world for all. Kindness is the curriculum at Atlas Vegan Community School, where kids eat nutritious meals that benefit animals, the planet, and human health.”
TeachKind is composed of former classroom teachers who help schools, educators, and parents promote compassion for animals through free lessons, virtual classroom presentations, materials, advice, online resources, and awards.
