First daughter Charlene Ruto on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, met with celebrated Hollywood actor Idris Elba during the Earthna 2025 summit in Qatar.
During the summit, Elba briefly headlined one of the sessions before catching up with Charlene on the sidelines.
“I admit I was a bit starstruck today meeting the legend himself, Idris Elba. His one question to me was: How can we amplify the stories and voices of young people? My answer? Only he can tell you… It was such a pleasure,” Charlene said.
Bangladeshi Chief Government Advisor Muhammad Yunus was also among the few people that Elba interacted with before leaving the summit venue in Doha.
Elba is an advocate for social justice and sustainable development, an actor and filmmaker, a philanthropist and the founder of Akuna Group.
“Using my voice as an actor should bring change in the society. Our forefathers taught us who we are today, and we need to pass that knowledge forward to influence the next generation,” Elba said during the summit.
Embracing traditional ways
“Earthna is a good lead and example to the world. History maketh a man. Let’s find different ways to innovate the traditional ways rather than doing away with them.
He also called for Africans to change the narrative about the perception of the continent on the world stage by aiming for the top.
“We must be listening to the community; the fishermen and farmers have the answers. If you want to help someone, ask them how they want to be helped.”
The summit seeks to explore areas of sustainability by leveraging both the traditional knowledge and innovation approaches in coming up with resilient ways of an inclusive future.
Role of women
The conference is set to conclude on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, after discussing topics on water scarcity, sustainable energy transition, climate change financing, urban sustainability and food insecurity.
The discussions are also set to centre on women’s role in sustainability efforts, protection of mangroves, new sustainability frameworks, vocational training education and faith-based values.
The summit features 80 speakers, including Bangladesh Government’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, United Nations Executive Secretary for the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Ibrahim Thiaw and Erthna Chairperson Justin Mundy, among others.
Charlene is the patron of the SMACHS Foundation, a Kenyan non-governmental organisation dealing with smart and mechanised agriculture, beekeeping, and climate action.
The organisation extends to supporting youth, women, marginalised communities, and persons with disabilities, evident in her involvement with various initiatives and functions.
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