Aged just 12, Genesis Butler isn’t even old enough to vote, but the impact she is having on the world is enormous. She describes herself as an ‘ethical vegan’, as well as being an animal rights activist, TEDx speaker and passionate environmentalist. Way ahead of her time, she went vegan of her own accord at the age of six, for the sake of animals after witnessing her mum breastfeeding her brother – she began to ask questions about cow’s milk and why humans drink it. The process of taking milk from an animal with the purpose of feeding humans just didn’t sit right with her and she didn’t want to contribute to that.
She has since set up her own non-profit organisation, Genesis for Animals (genesisforanimals.org), to help vegan animal sanctuaries by providing funding for care, food, shelter and vet visits. And if that wasn’t enough, she also donated nearly $5,000 of her own money, which she saved up for years, to the cause.