Janine GriffithsA powerful Veganuary session at the Chatty Café in East Leeds revealed profound personal journeys, cultural traditions, and ethical convictions behind the plant-based lifestyle.
The event took place on January 19th at the Compton Centre and featured a number of guest speakers as well as local residents from Harehills.
Event organiser, Natalie Tharraleos said the goal was simple but vital and explained: “The event aimed to highlight the benefits of veganism while centering diverse voices and sharing the experiences of people from the global majority within the vegan movement.”
The Veganuary session showcased diverse voices from the global majority within the vegan movement. That included Lokesh Soni, from Better You Leeds. Now a 13-year vegan, the journey began with a devastating diagnosis. “In 2013 I went to the doctors and was diagnosed with… a kidney cancer, basically, a big wake up moment,” he shared. Research led him to stories of healing through plants. A documentary about a man reversing his health conditions was pivotal. He said: “I thought, if that could work for him… then me, who’s on no medication, but got this thing in my kidney, maybe I can do that too.”
But his shift became deeply ethical. Learning about industrial farming changed everything. “I couldn’t expect to get better while I was making other things suffer. That logic didn’t make sense to me,” Lokesh said, adding: “How could I put suffering into the world and get better? It didn’t make sense to me.” He has since become an animal rights activist, often seen on the streets of Leeds. “My view of my life on Earth anyway… is that, you know, we’re here to help the earth be better,” he added.
For Rahel Fitsum, veganism is woven through culture, faith and family. She spoke about Ethiopia’s long tradition of fasting and plant based cooking, shaped by both spiritual practice and the need to support her allergic child. “In my culture we have a lot of vegan options.” She added that fasting is central to daily life for almost half the year and described veganism as spiritually grounding, explaining: “It’s spiritual… if you eat vegan foods… you can understand yourself and you should pray and connect with God.” But she also highlighted the challenges of sourcing suitable ingredients in the UK, often needing to cook her own meals when restaurants lack options. She told participants she cooks more than 125 vegan dishes, including the signature salad she brought for the group to try.
The group also heard from Edwina Thomas, who talked about the Rastafari perspective of veganism, focusing on respect for all living beings and the health benefits of an Ital diet. She spoke about food as both nourishment and a form of spiritual alignment. She said a plant based lifestyle is rooted in compassion. She explained: “So Ital food is so good for vital health and fitness. It’s about not eating animals who have life or fish also who have life. Anything that has life and moves is not a menu option.”
Edwina encouraged people to think of eating as a relationship with the world around them. “Mother Earth is a living, breathing entity… we also need to nurture and develop Earth and work with mother nature and the earth.” She added that food fuels wellbeing at every level. “What we put into our temple, our temple is our body, will help us to live longer and also look younger.”
The session also included vegan snack samples, a short quiz, a vegan book display from the Compton Centre, recipe leaflets and light crafts. It closed with an invitation for anyone wanting to explore further to visit the Vegan Society website.
To learn more about vegan food and recipes, check out the One Green Planet website.
