Our Team
Meet the people behind Welfare Matters’ programmes.
Amy Corrigan
Programme Director
Amy joined Welfare Matters in 2023 and is currently Programme Director for the Southeast Asia Farmed Animal Welfare Fellowship (SEAFAWF). She was previously involved in developing and running the Farmed Animal Welfare Incubator (FAWI) programme.
Amy has been involved in animal advocacy in Asia for over 20 years. After earning a degree in Zoology, she spent 3 years volunteering and working at the Wildlife Friends of Thailand (WFFT) wildlife rescue centre in Thailand. She then moved to Singapore, where she spent more than 11 years with ACRES (Animal Concerns Research & Education Society). There, she led the Humane Education department, and as Group Director for Advocacy played a key role in numerous campaigns, particularly those focused on cruelty-free living, zoo animal welfare, and the captive dolphin industry.
Anbarasi (Anbu) Boopal
Research Manager
Anbu joined Welfare Matters in October 2025 as Research Manager to conduct research and prioritise interventions for the 2026 Farmed Animal Welfare Incubator (FAWI) programme.
She previously served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), overseeing advocacy and operations, including fundraising, humane education, wildlife rescue and repatriations, government engagements, media relations, and research supporting legislative and policy reforms in Singapore.
With over 20 years of experience in animal protection, Anbu now focuses primarily on advancing farmed animal welfare in Southeast Asia, while continuing to advocate for often overlooked urban animals such as crows, pigeons, mynahs and rats.
She holds two Master’s degrees, in Environmental Management and Life Sciences. Always on the “hunt” for good vegan food, she also enjoys spending time with art, nature, and catching as many cosmic events as possible through late-night sky-gazing.
Fasya Yuriza Yahya
Programme Coordinator
Fasya is a vegan intersectional activist and Programme Coordinator at Welfare Matters. Holding a Bachelor of Laws from Universitas Indonesia, she has spent eight years working across movements, using legal knowledge and advocacy to address systemic inequality. She began in political and human rights activism, focusing on gender issues, environmental justice, and women's labour rights, before expanding into farmed animal advocacy through an intersectional lens.
Her transition into farmed animal advocacy stemmed from a growing realisation that justice must extend to all beings, human and non-human alike. Passionate about justice, accessibility, and movement-building, she believes farmed animal advocacy must be inclusive, strategic, and deeply rooted in compassion.
Gede Sanjaya
Programme Associate
Gede is a veterinarian from Bali who has been working for farmed animal welfare for four years. He is interested in the farmed animal welfare movement as he feels that a vet should contribute not only to helping animals at the clinic but also to helping animals that are mistreated at farms. As a Programme Associate, previously, he was part of the 2024 Farmed Animal Welfare Incubator (FAWI) team at Welfare Matters. Currently, he is focusing on engaging with the talent pool for farmed animal welfare advocacy in Southeast Asia.
Jaipal Gill
Programme Director
Jaipal helped to run the Farmed Animal Welfare Incubator (FAWI) in 2024 and now assists with other areas of work at Welfare Matters, including new programme development.
He has been involved in the animal protection movement for about 20 years. He began his career investigating animal cruelty as an inspector at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Singapore, before eventually serving the organisation as executive director. Jaipal has Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science qualifications.
Lefteris Statharas
Programme Manager
Lefteris Statharas is a researcher, and science communicator with a varied background in mechanical engineering, material science and storytelling. He is the lead researcher and data manager for Welfare Matters working to understand the needs of advocates in the region. Via in-depth interviews and literature research, Lefteris looks for a data-driven understanding of the capacity needs of farmed animal welfare advocates in Southeast Asia and uncover trends and insights that shape the sector.
Lefteris also looks to expand his skill set to investigative journalism, where he explores underreported stories, from academic research in conflict zones to the intersection of science and society.
Wanyi Zeng
Executive Director
Wanyi Zeng is the Executive Director of Welfare Matters providing strategic leadership and driving the organisation’s growth. She oversees operations to ensure the focus of the team on its mission and is actively involved in programme development, team management, partnerships and fundraising.
She started the Effective Altruism chapter in Singapore, which evolved into Welfare Matters. Wanyi is committed to reducing the suffering of sentient beings and applies an EA approach to the Southeast Asian context. Before focusing on effective altruism and capacity building for the farmed animal advocacy movement, she began her career in community work in Singapore. She holds a background in psychology and sociology.