Our Mission

The Jane Goodall Institute’s mission is to inspire and empower individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment for all living things.

Village near Kigoma. Photo credit: George Strunden.

There are currently JGI offices in 27 countries all sharing the same mission.

In addition, Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Programme provides educational and environmental materials and inspiration for young people with over 10,000 groups in over 100 countries.

The objectives of the Institute are to:

• encourage conservation to increase primate habitat conservation by working with local communities;
• increase awareness of, support for and training in issues related to our relationship with each other, the environment and other animals (leading to behaviour change);
• champion the Roots & Shoots education programme to inspire practical positive action for people, animals and the environment by developing an understanding of how important a healthy planet is to human survival;
• expand non-invasive research programmes on chimpanzees and other primates; and
• promote activities that ensure the well-being of chimpanzees, other primates and animal welfare activities in general.

Mother and baby. Photo credit: Michael Neugebauer.

JGI works in four major areas in Africa: Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and Congo. Programmes range from chimpanzee behavioural research, working with local communities on conservation projects and sanctuaries for rescued chimpanzees. The programmes are listed below:

1. The Gombe Stream Research Centre (Tanzania)
2. TACARE—Lake Tanganyika Catchment, Reforestation and Education Project (Tanzania)
3. Community-Centred Conservation (CCC—Democratic Republic of Congo)
4. Ngamba Island Sanctuary, Uganda and Tchimpounga Sanctuary, Congo