Meet Jerry Selwane: Bringing moral progress to the nation through animal care

Mahatma Ghandi advocated that the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Jerry Selwane, founder of the Soweto Animal Rescue and Advisory Centre (SARAC), is providing the means for our youth to carry out this legacy. During his 18 years of working for the SPCA, Jerry was exposed to the abuses animals had to endure due to ignorance and misinformation. Although the SPCA was doing its best, Jerry realised that an animal rescue centre was desperately needed in Soweto. He took his life savings and opened a small centre where he gives hope to abused animals and education to the youth. SARAC now has a small army of Rangers, the youth who have become his eyes and ears in animal cruelty cases. SARAC are authorised to arrest and prosecute, which they are not afraid to do. The need for his services is growing, and resources are a big challenge but Jerry, undaunted, continues every day to make a difference to animal welfare and the moral progress of the youth. – Vanessa Marks