There are so many ways to make a meaningful difference in the world, and for lots of people Veganuary is just the start.
With their knowledge bolstered and their passion ignited, many go on to become active for animals and the planet in a variety of interesting and creative ways.
Here, we catch up with six Veganuary alumni to find out what happened next.
Amy Marshall, Southampton, UK
Amy’s experience of embracing veganism was positive in so many ways. She says she felt healthier generally, but more specifically, her digestive health significantly improved.
And then there was something a little less tangible. She found she was eating more mindfully in a way that made even snacking between meals feel, well… virtuous!
As a teacher, you might expect school mealtimes to be something of a disappointment when it comes to enjoying good food, but Amy says this was not the case. “Having vegan meals at school is brilliant!” she reports. “The kitchen team are really creative, and I’m inspired to use similar recipes at home.”
But even so, there was one issue that kept cropping up. “When I sit with pupils at lunch, some of them seem to think that vegans are as unusual as aliens,” said Amy.
Instead of accepting this, she set about changing their perceptions and organised a whole-school eco-day themed on food. Amy intended to “give them a chance to find out more about why people choose a vegan diet, whether we have to choose between wildlife and food production, how to reduce food waste, and whether we should eat insects.”
The day was a huge success! Veteran campaigner Tony Bishop-Weston joined them with his human-powered smoothie bike, and the pupils learned a lot about the impacts of plant milk versus milk taken from cows, and the reasons why people choose not to eat animals or their products. What a positive initiative!
Boniswa Tele, Johannesburg, South Africa
Boniswa was already vegan when she participated in Veganuary 2023, having made the change in 2018.
She took part because she was looking for extra support and to join a like-minded community because she was feeling a little isolated in her own advocacy.
“As a black vegan from a township in Johannesburg, I had thought there aren’t many people interested in this lifestyle,” she says. Thankfully, Veganuary 2023 helped Boniswa find her feet, give her hope, and ramp up her activism.
“I worked with The Vegan Chef at an activation at the hotel Sandton Benmore. I was helping to attract people to learn more about Veganuary and to sign up.”
By becoming more active in promoting a vegan diet and lifestyle, Boniswa reaped the benefits, too.
“It was a huge jump for me because I went from losing faith in a plant-based world to being part of an activity that proactively plugged people with the 411 on veganism. I have since had more optimism and have subsequently been meeting more and more (especially black people) that took part in Veganuary at some point. Sometimes I meet people whom I’d signed up and they still have fond memories of their Veganuary experience.”
We love to hear it, Boniswa.
Mary Davey, Exmouth, UK
Inspired by Veganuary 2024, long-term vegetarians, Mary and her husband Olly, took the leap and switched to a fully plant-based diet.
They admit to being a little apprehensive about it, thinking they might miss dairy products and eggs, but were surprised to find that they really didn’t miss them at all, and that they loved the variety and taste of the vegan recipes they were discovering.
Best of all, they felt fitter and healthier, and were much more at ease knowing they were not implicated in the cruelty and environmental impacts of industrial animal farming.
But that was just the beginning! The couple became part of their local vegan community, attending vegan “bring and shares” and visiting local vegan cafes and restaurants so they could flag up the need for vegan options to be made available.
At a local festival, they helped promote plant-based eating and other solutions to the current environmental crises while also actively supporting Exmouth’s Plant-Based Treaty. Mary and Olly say they continue to advocate Veganuary as a great source of reliable information.
Their activism has led to them making new friends, and, by going vegan in their 70s, they have been an incredible inspiration to many other people.
“We have interesting conversations with friends of a similar age about the health benefits and, hopefully, will be able to continue to show them that a vegan diet can be a healthy and ethical choice for older people,” says Mary.
“A few friends have questioned whether it is a healthy choice at the age of 73, but we try and outline the benefits without being too evangelical and hopefully, we provide a good example of living on a plant-based diet!”
Joanna Rigby, Newton-le-Willows, UK
Joanna is another long-term vegetarian who had made the switch in the late 1980s.
“My husband wouldn’t eat lamb, and I wouldn’t eat pork or fish, and then there was mad cow disease. That left us with poultry, so we decided to just stop eating animals,” she explains.
Fast forward three decades and Joanna’s daughter asked her to try a vegan diet. “I do miss cheese,” she says, “but now I have educated myself about the abuse in the farming of animals, I have stuck with it.”
Not only that, Joanna spends some of spare time sharing what she has learned with others. “I am a member of Viva! and take part in monthly meets in Liverpool to try to persuade people to try vegan food. Sometimes, we are joined by We The Free and their 3-minute movie challenge.”
Joanna is also involved with Manchester Pig Save and has joined marches for National Animal Rights Day. “It is such a joy to meet like-minded people and enjoy the food people bring to these events without having to check that it is free from animal products,” she says.
“So many people are unaware of factory farming in their areas and the awful conditions animals are kept in. I get really upset about people choosing to love their pet but to eat other animals. The issue closest to my heart is to educate people about the cruelty they are continuing for sentient beings.”
Ejvor Berg, Lidköping, Sweden
Ejvor is a long-term animal lover, who did Veganuary 2015. She grew up in a family that hunted animals and all her friends ate meat. Ejvor knew she was different from them, and sadly, she was treated differently, too.
After the month-long Veganuary challenge, Ejvor stayed vegan but felt alone and isolated. “I wanted to help animals,” she says. “They are like us, they feel, think, feel fear and pain.”
Her deeply held principles meant she never backed down, despite what others thought of her. It was seven years later that she finally found a vegan group that she describes as “really amazing”.
Now, Ejvor has found her community! She advocates by compassionate example, signing petitions, donating where she can, and being part of her local group. She feels empowered and supported in her ethical decision and knows that veganism is forever. “My eyes are open,” she says. “I’ll not change.”
Natalija Jovanovska, Skopje, North Macedonia
Natalija had been vegetarian since a traumatic event changed the course of her life. “My journey started in a shocking way,” she tells us. “I witnessed a pig being slaughtered right in front of me. Before that moment, I never fully understood what meat really was. That day changed everything.” She was just nine years old.
“It wasn’t easy, especially growing up in Eastern Europe where not eating meat often made you a target for jokes,” says Natalija, but her parents’ support helped her get through it and stay meat-free.
A few years later, Natalija discovered Veganuary just as it was about to launch back, way back in 2013, and she says this was the push she needed to become vegan. She took part. “And you know what? I did it. It was tough, but I stuck with it, and I’m still going strong. Going vegan gave me the courage to explore the world and seek out vegan-friendly countries. It also made me kinder and more conscious of the world around me.”
Today, Natalija is a full-time activist, working as the Activity Coordinator at Go Green, an NGO focused on ecology and sustainability in her hometown.
“I have the privilege of working on projects that promote environmental awareness, youth engagement, and sustainable practices,” she says. But, just as important, perhaps, is her activism-by-example.
“I take pride in the influence I’ve had on my husband,” she tells us. “He became vegetarian just one week into our relationship and remains so to this day. That was one of the moments I knew I was gonna marry him one day.”
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