This is what Goodall does all over the world. With "Mr. H" on her lap, Goodall told the kids about her early dreams of coming to Africa and living among animals.
Alternating between English and Swahili, Goodall talked in plain terms about the importance of environmentalism, conservation and the value of protecting the Earth. She told me she hopes to inspire children everywhere and to encourage them to "do the right thing": to respect each other, to work hard, and to follow their dreams.
She also spoke to them about the life she leads now, which is a continuous educational outreach conducted around the world.
During our visit we saw the site where Goodall had originally set up her tent some forty years ago when, each day, she would climb through the jungle to observe "her" chimpanzees. By the way, only one of those chimps she first encountered is still alive today: Fifi, a female, now 44 years old. Fifi has had eight offspring, and remarkably, is pregnant again.
That night, after another communal dinner at Goodall's, we sat in the dark and marveled at the night sky, cloudless and filled with bright stars and shooting stars. Before dawn, the loud, guttural barking of baboons awakened us. They were everywhere. I saw a group of four or five saunter by the front of the hostel, glancing over at us. To my relief, they decided not to break in and rob us of our stash of bananas!
As Goodall had told me, she is indeed "always on the go." Besides running her vast organization, she's also working on two new books (one deals with finding hope in the wake of the events of September 11th).
Before dawn, we got back on the boat with Goodall and her crew and made our way back to Kigoma. The sun rose behind the ridge, so the western sky was a magnificent pink and blue. It was a beautiful morning.
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