“Work hard, take advantage of opportunities, and never give up” -Dr Jane Goodall’s Mother
This past July I was humbled to meet a role model, social justice seeker, and a humanitarian at heart, Dr Jane Goodall. The experience was nothing short of amazing as she shared stories from her years of living with chimpanzees and traveling the world.
As a woman, Jane Goodall broke barriers by following her dream to become a scientist. Jane shared with the audience her hope in the future comes from nights like tonight, meeting young people with a passion in their souls to bring light to their future. Seeking social justice.
That evening, I was able to share my goals and aspirations with Jane as well share information regarding my work here in Tanzania. She also happily accepted a copy of my resume and insisted she would be reading it!
*that brown envelope is my resume
I had another opportunity to meet with and hear Dr Jane Goodall speak in Arusha, Tanzania. The second time she spoke at the Imambargha Mosque regarding the Islamic perspective on the environment. To my surprise, Dr Goodall was able to relate her experiences and stories to the Quran in a very eloquent way. We heard from a leading scientist in the community speak the truths about animal rights and justice within the Islamic Faith.
This was not my first encounter with the Islamic faith while in Tanzania, but definitely was the most eye opening experience to one of the largest faiths of the world. Because this event was taking place in a place of worship for many, I chose to respectfully cover my head as I believe in practicing cultural competency and just a general respect to their religion. I also had an opportunity to sit and meet with a few other women attending the conference through a traditional Islamic meal. It was an amazing opportunity to both hear Jane Goodall speak and be welcomed and submerged into a religion.
Marissa's Social Work Endeavors 