Roots & Shoots growing strong
KUALA LUMPUR: It was a proud moment when the well-known Dr Jane Goodall stepped onto Malaysian soil in January, an occasion made possible by the Berjaya Cares Foundation.
Last year, Goodall received the Better Malaysia Foundation Personality Award during Berjaya Founder’s Day, which came with a cash prize of RM500,000.
In addition, Berjaya Group founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan contributed another RM500,000 towards Roots & Shoots Malaysia, a youth-led community empowering programme which is founded by Goodall.
“We received great response from Malaysians who were very excited to meet Jane. At 83, she is still active in her social work and conservation of primates,” said Roots & Shoots project manager Jyunichi Washizaki.
“Berjaya’s contribution made that visit possible. It allowed Roots & Shoots to be established here,” he added.
The organisation aims to cultivate the “seed of goodness” within young people through three pillars – animals, environment and the community.
“Since Jane’s visit here, we have received a lot of interest from various schools, institutions and organisations. Currently, we are working with Berjaya Youth on two projects. One is an animal welfare project and another is to work with some of the refugee communities that we have identified,” Washizaki said.
Roots & Shoots will be working to help these refugees adapt to Malaysian culture so that they assimilate here and also to help them sell some of their handmade items in local bazaars.
Starbucks Malaysia is also in partnership with Roots & Shoots, where some of the projects outlined include setting up and maintaining a “Community Edible Garden” at selected Starbucks outlets, cultivating children’s interest in writing through a young authors programme and a few more exciting ideas that are still in discussion.
“Roots & Shoots is here to be the backbone for initiatives by young people in Malaysia. We like to encourage and work with youths to be more proactive in their surroundings and to join us as volunteers,” Washizaki said.
Many of those involved in Goodall’s good work carry with them one of her fond quotes: “Only when the head and heart work in harmony, can human beings attain their true potential, and that potential is huge.”