Kenya
Homeland Hero
Tree by tree, person by person, Wangari Maathai is making Kenya a better place to live |  |
Wangari Maathai has known the importance of planting seeds for the future ever since she was a little girl. Born in Nyeri, Kenya, this internationally-known environmental activist was raised in a farming community. Since then, her dedication to the environment has branched out in amazing directions.
A Rescue Team for Trees
In 1977, Maathai established the Green Belt Movement, a group that has grown from a small group of activists to an army of 2,000 women. Green Belt members work hard to save their country's forests, which have been heavily cut by builders, farmers and people seeking wood for fuel. With the help of schoolchildren, they have planted more than 10 million trees on local farms and on school and church grounds. Members sometimes risk their lives for their goals. In the past, they've faced violent opposition from land developers eager to build real estate instead of forests.
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None of this has stopped Maathai from spreading her green-themed message to Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and other African countries. These countries are now following her movement's planting methods. Her dedication to preserving Africa's forests has won her a Global 500 Award from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), along with much praise from around the world.
Creating a Better World for Women
Though Maathai is mainly known for her environmental work, her commitment to Kenya's women is just as powerful. In fact, the Green Belt Movement began as a program she launched while in the National Council of Women of Kenya. (She later became the council's chairperson from 1981-87.) Back then, members worked to preserve forests and improve women's lives in a nation where they weren't as respected as men. Today their cause is as strong as ever. Many women's groups have sold millions of seedlings to the Green Belt Movement, earning money to send their kids to school or start small businesses. More than 3,000 tree nurseries and more than 3,000 part-time jobs have been created as a result. By sharing her hopes for a greener Kenya, Maathai is making other women's dreams come true, too.
