11-year-old Romario Valentine has advocated for so many incredible eco and animal causes in his not-so-many years. Now, he’s using art to end lion exploitation and is calling on other young people to lend a brush, pencil or crayon!
South Africa (08 August, 2023) — With a heart as big as the African savannah, Romario Valentine, an 11-year-old eco-activist, is leading the charge in ending lion exploitation in South Africa for good. Embracing his passion for creativity and love for wildlife, Romario has joined forces with the #PrideNotCruelty campaign in collaboration with World Animal Protection, Blood Lions and Treeshake; all of whom have united to use art as a powerful tool for advocacy.
Romario is no stranger to lending his hand in protecting the environment and its creatures. Beyond being a creative himself, he has actively participated in 325 beach clean-ups, raised funds to plant over 450 trees in 31 countries, is the youngest ambassador of Ocean Sole, and in 2022, published his first book, ‘Protect Our Planet: Take Action With Romario’.
Leading up to Lion Day on Thursday 10 August, Romario is calling on the young people of South Africa to make a roar and free their creativity for captive lions.
Young people from all over are invited to create something lion-inspired be it a painting, stick drawing, poem, dance, or sculpture. Masterpieces can be submitted here or via social media using the hashtag #PrideNotCruelty.
Many children have already joined the cause through Youth For Lions— a young, vibrant sub-campaign of Blood Lions that educates the youth about various topics that will empower their future as lion activists.
Some of the things they learn about include information about exploitative industries and how cub petting, walking with predators, and volunteering at predator farms are enabling and contributing to the wider captive predator breeding industry in South Africa.
Romario’s passion for the environment and dedication to creating change has shown that age is no barrier to making a difference!
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