Maddy Cerra is a reminder to people all over the world that everyone, no matter how old or young, can make a difference.

The four-year-old Australian girl first learned about endangered orangutans at school. When her mom told her about how palm oil production is destroying the orangutans’ natural habitat, she decided to take action.

Today, Maddy brings laminated orangutan pictures everywhere she goes and tells anyone who will listen about endangered orangutans. Her message is simple: “Don’t Buy Palm Oil.”

According to the Diamond Valley Leader, she is the youngest animal rights activist in the region, and her passion has caught the attention of news outlets around the world. Maddy is proof that people can change the world through education, whether it be Maddy’s school teaching her about orangutans to her mother explaining deforestation and Maddy then passing along this knowledge to her local community.

To read more about Maddy, read the Huffington Post coverage at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/03/maddy-cerra-orangutan-advocate_n_704248.html or the Diamond Valley Leader’s coverage at http://diamond-valley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/maddys-saving-apes/.