Jackline Kyaruzi (Tanzania) is a Youth Ambassador of the Roots & Shoots Programme under the Jane Goodall Institute. She is currently studying Wildlife Management at the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka in Tanzania. In the statement below, Ms. Kyaruzi introduces her work on wildlife conservation and sustainability education.
Jambo, I am Jackline Julius Kyaruzi. I am a youth representative for Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots from Western Tanzania and I study wildlife management at the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, located at Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
This year has been a difficult year around the world. Here in Tanzania, many people have lost much income, their health and even their lives because of COVID-19. Climate change and conflict have affected many of our people.
I believe, more than ever, that each of us must do our part to make the world more equitable and sustainable. That is the world I want to create.
My passion is wildlife conservation and educating people about how sustainable use of resources will make their lives better. I have seen how one person, working with others, even in one small community, can make a difference.
I see this through my projects with the Roots & Shoots program, founded by Dr. Jane Goodall. Roots & Shoots is a network of youth groups in more than 50 countries who tackle challenges faced by people, wildlife and the environment. Our Roots & Shoots club here has helped our communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a core lead of a tree and wildlife conservation project for my college, I work with Chagga people on conservation activities. One of them is planting fast-growing tree species, so that it can hinder the Chagga people from entering the conservation areas that are near the community. One among the conservation area is Kilimanjaro National Park, whereby we have hindered people to enter, through helping them to plant trees, so that they can be used as firewood and even they can help in providing shade to the community.
It is also important that we show people how to co-exist with wildlife. We are near the beautiful Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the Maasai people have managed to stay together with wildlife. This is because education awareness is provided to them. This is one among the things that Roots & Shoots has contributed.
To have peace, there must be proper interaction and co-existence between the community, environment, and animals. It starts with each of us. As we have in our small communities here in Tanzania, let us join hands with the UN family to spread kindness, hope and cooperation as we are in one sphere – this is actually a beautiful act. Happy International Day of Peace.
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and ceasefire. This Youth Action for Peace series brings together voices of university students around the world sharing the same mission: to celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic, and as we recover.
