Dr. Jane Goodall often said that every individual matters, every individual has a role to play, and every individual makes a difference. Nowhere is that more visible than in the Roots & Shoots network, where young people around the world are proving it true in their own communities. Roots & Shoots groups from South Africa, Indonesia, and the USA show just how far that belief can travel.
In South Africa, Roots & Shoots students from Tshwane University of Technology spent the past year making a real difference for animal welfare through close collaboration with Chimp Eden, a chimpanzee sanctuary run by the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa. Four students dedicated their time as full-time interns, gaining hands-on experience in conservation and animal welfare that directly benefited the sanctuary’s 33 rescued chimpanzees.
Their work went far beyond observation. The students helped maintain a permaculture vegetable garden that produced 400 kg of fresh produce to supplement the chimps’ diets — locally grown food that provided essential nutrients and supported the sanctuary through challenging times. They also crafted enrichment items such as swings, ice treats, and bamboo structures to stimulate the chimpanzees’ natural behaviours and support their physical and cognitive well-being.
Beyond direct animal care, the interns led educational visits that deepened visitors’ understanding of conservation and environmental issues, and left a lasting mark on the sanctuary itself by helping establish recycling and composting systems to improve Chimp Eden’s long-term sustainability.
In Indonesia, Roots & Shoots members are showing that impact doesn’t have to start big. In June 2026, environmental clubs at schools in Kediri and Sidoarjo (East Java) and Bangli (Bali) came together as part of the WIJABA Environmental Education Program, run in partnership with Dr. Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots.
Students designed and led their own community service initiatives across the three focus areas — environment, animals, and people — and the range of projects reflected the specific needs of each school community. Some students launched an earth protection campaign and turned snack wrappers into ecobricks. Others focused on animal welfare, drawing pets and sharing pet care tips, or feeding and caring for cats living on their school grounds. Others took on public health with a school-wide toothbrushing campaign, or strengthened their own community through a gift exchange with fellow club members.
No two Roots & Shoots projects approached the challenge in quite the same way, and that’s exactly the point.
The Chicago Basecamp, led by Coordinator Alex Biswas, recently brought together local Roots & Shoots groups and partners including the United Nations Association – Chicago Chapter for a beach cleanup at Montrose Beach.
More than 30 volunteers turned up for the event, collecting over 700 pieces of trash weighing a total of 32 pounds. Plastic pieces and food wrappers were by far the most commonly collected items — a small but telling snapshot of what ends up on the city’s shoreline.
Thanks to their efforts, Chicago’s largest public beach is now safer for the people who visit it, as well as for the many migratory birds that nest there.
A chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa, school clubs across Indonesia, and a beach cleanup in the USA may look like three unrelated stories. But they share the same motivation that runs across the entire Roots & Shoots network: Every individual has a role to play. Whether the outcome is measured in kilograms of vegetables, pieces of ecobrick plastic, or pounds of beach litter.
If you feel motivated by these stories, you can be part of this global movement.
Find your local Roots & Shoots office and take action today!
Image Credits: JGI RSA / JGI USA / WIJABA
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