Animal Rahat is teaching children in rural India kindness the Compassionate Citizen program.

For young people, developing empathy for animals is a key step in developing kindness toward—and rejecting violence against—all living beings, including humans. That’s why Animal Rahat is using Compassionate Citizen program to educate youngsters about treating our animal neighbors humanely.

The Compassionate Citizen program was designed to help children between the ages of 8 and 12 develop respect and compassion for other living beings. Most children naturally feel concern and affection for animals, but they learn cruel behavior from society and gradually lose their compassion. A lack of respect for other species can translate into insensitivity and cruelty toward fellow humans. Psychologists, sociologists, and law-enforcement officials know that when youngsters exhibit violence toward animals, it’s often an early warning sign of future acts of violence toward humans. Humane education helps ensure a future in which everyone is treated respectfully.

For children who live outside India’s urban hubs, this message is important because they often grow up seeing animals treated as machinery, rather than as the thinking, feeling beings they are. Animal Rahat’s rural location ensures that the Compassionate Citizen program reaches these children: an education officer has already conducted 10 Compassionate Citizen workshops in schools throughout Sangli. During these workshops, children watch an educational video with engaging animal footage followed by an interactive session focusing on the importance of being kind to animals.

And it’s working! The Compassionate Citizen program has been used in more than 21,000 private and government schools, reaching nearly 4.3 million children across the country. Endorsed by both the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Central Board of Secondary Education, this program is helping a new generation understand why kindness matters.

What You Can Do

Support efforts to end cruelty to animals now and in the future by donating to Animal Rahat and subscribing to Animal Rahat’s newsletter for updates, other ways to help, and more.