“Supporting Greenpeace is never a bad choice.” These are the very words of Jessa Velez, our 23-year-old loyal donor from Cavite.
She also tells us that being an environmental advocate doesn’t need to be complicated. For her, learning about our planet’s situation and committing to protect it are the two most important things in this advocacy.
“Before becoming a donor, I wouldn’t say that I was already an advocate, but I was definitely interested in going zero-waste,” Jessa mentioned.
In college, she started bringing her own tumbler to school, shifted to reusable sanitary pads, and avoided plastic utensils when dining out. These small changes led to a sustainable lifestyle that she is now upholding.
“Using single-use plastic made me guilty. Seeing less plastic in my trash bin has been motivating,” she added.
Years later, after graduation, she chanced upon our direct dialogue campaigners’ booth in a shopping mall in Makati. “Since I already had an idea about climate change and zero-waste organizations, I signed up to become a donor that day,” Jessa recalls.
Jessa supports Greenpeace because she understands that individual lifestyle changes aren’t enough to stop the planet’s deterioration, corporations and governments should also act on the climate emergency. “I appreciate how Greenpeace calls out the largest global polluters,” she adds.
the leading institution for arts and culture in the country.
If you’re still hesitant to advocate for the environment, Jessa has a few words to motivate you:
Study it. Follow social media accounts with environmental niches. Start by replacing your plastic straw with bamboo. Small steps will lead you to the right path. Start inside your own home and start small. Identify the plastics that can be easily replaced with reusable alternatives. Doing your part and contributing to an organization with advocacy of reducing pollutants in the Philippines is never a bad choice.
Jessa is just one of the thousands of Filipinos who financially support Greenpeace. She is currently working as a media analyst in Makati and enjoys reading, writing, painting her nails, and playing with her three cats during her free time.
If her words resonate with you, send us an email or message us on our social media channels so that we can tell you more about our work. Together, let’s find ways to better protect our planet!