Early in July Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge was privileged to host Dr. Jane Goodall, a world renowned scientist, anthropologist and primatologist who has dedicated her life to conservation, animal welfare and humanitarian causes.
Dr. Jane Goodall arrived for the Cocktail fundraiser attended by 122 guests that raised a staggering USD 6,300 for the Roots & Shoots foundation.
The General Manager for Elewana Arusha Coffee, Graham Stobbart opened the evening by welcoming the inspirational Dr. Jane Goodall, who proceeded to fascinate the crowd by introducing herself in a chimpanzee language that translated into: “this is me, this is Jane”. As a UN Messenger of Peace, Dr. Goodall has been an inspiration to millions. She conveys a clear, undisputed message; “We all matter, We are all connected, We all have a part to play in the world and if we choose to play that part we can and will make a difference”. It is a message that has both resonated throughout the world whilst giving hope to each of us, moving people across the planet to conserve the natural world, which we all share and to care a little more for others. Throughout the night, attendees were enchanted with stories of her travels, research and how she overcame barriers that once hindered her journey. Her persistence towards what she believes in was a moving message for guests to take home, as she inspired both children and adults into actively pursuing their dreams.
In addition to the proceeds collected, Graham initiated the auction of a chimpanzee portrait signed by Dr Jane. This portrait will be auctioned off at Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge and proceeds will go towards the Roots and Shoots programme. During the auction, never before seen footage of her early travels in the hills of Tanzania will be played. We will share details when the auction will take place in the coming weeks.
To mark the first World Chimpanzee Day, we did a video in which Jane shares her reflections on the chimpanzees and that we must each take action to protect chimpanzees in the wild, and in captivity, before it is too late.
