Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)
I have always seen failure as a challenge to pull myself up and keep going.
Wangari Maathai was the first woman in East Africa go earn a doctorate and the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. She was deeply committed to her country and her people.
Every once in a while someone comes along who makes a difference for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. A single person can do so much to change the culture if she perseveres. It takes commitment, dedication, and the willingness to even risk your life in order to bring about peace and prosperity to a country. If there is persecution by abusive authority, many people will give in. One person who did not give in but confronted the corrupt government powers and had faith in herself and God to bring about needed change was Wangari Maathai. I honor her memory and count it a privilege to tell her story.
Wangari was born on April 1, 1940, in Nyeri, Kenya. Nyeri was a small village. Her father was a tenant farmer. Kenya was still a British colony at this time. Though it was uncommon for girls, her parents wanted Wangari to have an education and sent her to school. She did very well. In 1960 she received a scholarship to study in the United States. She completed a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1964 and a master’s degree in biological sciences in 1966.
She returned to Kenya where she became the first woman in East Africa to earn a doctorate degree. She studied veterinary anatomy at the University of Nairobi. She joined the faculty and became the first woman to chair a university department in 1976.
Wangari was involved with many civic organizations. She also became concerned about the environment. Noticing that the forests were disappearing causing many problems such as soil erosion, she decided to do something about it. She founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 and began to reforest her beloved country.
Wangari was also concerned about what was happening to women and children. Because farmers were converting their land to cash crops like coffee and tea instead of food, women were having to feed their children processed food. This was leading to malnutrition. When she thought about how to solve the problem, Wangari came up with the solution of planting trees. Trees would help the soil, provide fuel for cooking healthy food, provide shade, protect watersheds, heal the land, and bring back birds and other wildlife.
By the mid-1980’s the Green Belt Movement had grown significantly. Nearly 2000 women’s groups were planting trees, and more than a thousand green belts were being run by schools and students. Together they had planted several million trees. Eventually over 6000 nurseries would be established, involve several hundred thousand women, and many men, and by the early twenty-first century have planted more than thirty million trees in Kenya alone. Work was expanded to many other countries in Africa.
Wangari was very vocal in her opposition to the government. Forest land was taken from the people and given to the rich to build fancy houses. The people were helpless against the dictators. Throughout her life, Wangari sought to help bring in a democratic government to Kenya, even running for office herself. Her clashes with authority often ended up in imprisonment. She was harassed, threatened, and beaten but she never gave up. She was eventually elected and able to do something for women, the environment, and a better government.
People asked her if she wasn’t concerned about the danger to herself when she defied the government. She said,
For me, the destruction of Karura Forest, like the malnourished women in the 1970’s, the Times complex in Uhuru Park, and the political prisoners detained without trial, were problems that needed to be solved, and the authorities were stopping me from finding a solution. I don’t see danger. Because I don’t see danger, I don’t allow my mind to imagine what might happen to me, which is my definition of fear. If you don’t foresee the danger and see only the solution, then you can defy anyone and appear strong and fearless…. In the end, what was important was that we showed we were not intimidated. We were in the right and had stood up for what we believed in.[1]
In 2004 in recognition for her “holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights, and women’s rights in particular” she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In a speech she gave to the Nobel committee, Wangari reflected on her activities leading up to the Green Belt Movement and its accomplishments. She also called on young people to:
commit themselves to activities that contribute toward achieving their long-term dreams. They have the energy and creativity to shape a sustainable future. To the young people I say, you are a gift to your communities and indeed the world. You are our hope and our future.
You can view her lecture to the Nobel committee here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZap_QlwlKw
Later, in recognition of her fervent commitment, the Secretary-General named her a United Nations Messenger of Peace in December 2009, with a focus on the environment and climate change, which she remained committed to until her death in 2011.
Other achievements include:
Founding or chairing 11 organizations, given 5 academic appointments, maintained affiliations with 18 associations, awarded 15 honorary degrees, and over 50 personal awards including Woman of the Year.[2] She also got her picture on Time Magazine in 2001.
Wangari’s Legacy
Wangari’s legacy is as an outstanding example of what one person can do when she knows that she is in the right. After she won the Nobel Prize, Wangari continued to travel around the world. She urged other nations to take care of their environments especially protecting forests. She advocated for democratic governments so that the people could participate. She continued working with women in Kenya especially in the rural communities. She shared her amazing story in her book, Unbowed. Sadly, in late life, she battled ovarian cancer. She died on September 25, 2011, at the age of 71 years old. Wangari was survived by her three children: Waweru, Wanjira and Muta.
[1] Wangari Maathai. Unbowed: A Memoir. (New York: Anchor Books, 2007) pages 272-273.
[2] For the complete list see: Wangari Maathai, Biography. https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/biography
