When I first wanted to go to Africa, everybody laughed at me: We didn’t have any money, World War II was raging and Africa was ‘the Dark Continent,’ but most importantly I was a girl. ‘Jane, get real: Girls don’t do this kind of thing, living with animals in the forest.’ But my mother was a very strong woman, and she used to say, ‘If you really want something and you work hard, take advantage of opportunity and never give up, you will find a way.’ That’s the message I’ve taken to children, particularly girls, all around the world.