Hollywood actress Goodall in Kenya

Hollywood actress Caroline Goodall will advocate for the educational needs of children in Kibera at the annual Cannes International Film Festival.

The British-born American actress is visiting Kenya for the first time with her daughter Gemma and will inspect school projects in Nairobi’s Kibera slums and Kericho.

While visiting the Little School in Kibera on Wednesday, Ms Goodall told journalists she would speak about the project with her colleagues and film-makers at the event with an aim to raise funds.

Ms Goodall said the organisation, which caters for orphaned children and those whose parents suffer from mental illness, has a target of raising Sh25,140,000 ($300,000) per year.

“Currently we are way below that and once we hit then it means that we can expand our reach to other children,” the goodwill ambassador of Care Highway International said.

She added: “I will be saying as much as I can at Cannes. The head of this year’s jury is Steven Spielberg and I will tell him and others about the work we are doing here and to get more volunteers for the project.”

This year’s Cannes Festival will run from May 15 to May 26.

She was featured as wife of reluctant adult Peter Pan in the 1990 movie “Hook”. Her more popular performances were in “Schindler's List” and “Disclosure”.

Her role in the “Princess Diaries” films (2002 and 2004) as mother to Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) also boosted her profile.

“In Schindler’s List, one thing that we said was ‘he who saves one life saves the world and it its true and for all of us. Whether it is these guys growing up or me, anything we do we know we can then pass on the act of kindness,” Ms Goodall said. “I am just so excited to see these children.”