Kerenza chats with Champions: Stories from the Frontlines of Rabies Prevention

At GARC, we know that the fight against rabies is driven by passionate individuals and organizations working tirelessly on the ground — often in challenging and resource-limited conditions. That’s why we launched our newest monthly feature called ‘Kerenza Chats with Champions’. Here we spotlight the inspiring work, challenges, and successes of rabies champions worldwide.

Each month,  GARC’s Communications Director, Kerenza Vlastou, sits down with champions from different corners of the world to hear firsthand about their efforts. From mass vaccination campaigns in rural villages to education programs that debunk rabies myths, and even street dog rescue operations, these stories highlight the diverse ways in which people are tackling rabies. This series is more than just interviews — it’s a celebration of dedication and resilience.

There are so many technical resources available to support rabies elimination efforts – GARC has a huge variety of tools, technical resources, protocols, scientific webinars and publications available. But these don’t convey the feelings, dedication, experiences and insights of people working directly on the ground on rabies elimination efforts. These insights, tips, experiences and first-hand stories can only come through discussions and chats with these warriors working daily in their communities. Kerenza Chats with Champions brings these experiences to the forefront, helping make rabies elimination efforts more relatable. By sharing the experiences and stories of others working in communities, we hope to inspire and encourage others. That inspiration can come in many forms: it may be a similar challenge that someone else faced and manged to overcome that you as a reader can now learn from and implement in your own work. Perhaps it is a story of the difficulties that they face, highlighting that you are not alone in your challenges. It could simply be something inspiring that a champion initiated which leads you to act and engage further. In whatever way, Kerenza Chats with Champions aims to create a global voice for the everyday work, challenges, inspiring stories and actions from communities around the world.

Rabies work rarely happens in isolation — many of the organizations are working in isolation and are not aware of others who are doing similar work in their area or in their country. These features will support the Communities Against Rabies (CAR) initiative from another perspective – bringing to life the work of others and encouraging you to reach out and engage with the like-minded people championing rabies elimination efforts, building collaboration and fostering the sharing of experiences. Kerenza Chats with Champions showcases the diverse approaches, demonstrating how collaboration and multi-faceted strategies are essential in the fight to eliminate rabies.

Each interviewee represents a unique perspective, but one thing remains constant: a deep commitment to ending rabies for good. Whether working in Asia, Africa, Latin America, or beyond, these champions share invaluable lessons, best practices, and the challenges they face — insights that can inspire and inform others working toward the same goal.

Would you like to share your story?
If you or your organization are actively involved in any rabies-related work, including  dog vaccination, education, rescue efforts, or advocacy, we’d love to feature your work! Send us an email  and let’s highlight the impact you’re making in your community to the world.

Together, we can learn from each other, inspire change, and bring the world closer to a rabies-free future. 

Article contributed by: Kerenza Vlastou, Communications Director, GARC