Making history with a list of groundbreaking firsts—first African woman to win a Nobel Prize, first-ever woman in East and Central Africa to receive a Ph.D.—Professor Wangari Maathai (1940–2011) from Kenya was a powerhouse of a woman!
She was a political, environmental, and social activist standing against deforestation and advocating for the empowerment of African women.
We can see the influence from Professor Maathai’s emphasis on women in the fight for sustainable development today as many young women begin to stand up: Greta Thunberg, Mary Copeny, Autumn Peltier, and many more. We can also see her direct impact in the over 13.94 billion trees that have been planted thanks to her activism.
“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people,” Maathai said. Wangari Maathai stood by this mantra and pledged her life to empowering the earth and its people.
In 1977, Maathai founded an NGO called the #GreenBeltMovement in Nairobi, Kenya. This educational grass-roots organization is aimed at rural environmental empowerment in Kenya with a strong stance against deforestation.
Maathai aimed to give African women job opportunities while also increasing community consciousness of justice, equity, and the reduction of poverty as a part of the decolonization process of African countries.
Since starting this movement, more than 30,000 African women have completed training in the areas of forestry, food processing, and bee-keeping—all of which are smaller-scale trades that allow women of low socioeconomic status in Kenya to gain income, increase economic independence, and stimulate local economies all while empowering African women at large. Since 1977, over 51 million trees have been planted in Africa thanks to Wangari Maathai!
“When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope,” Wangari Maathai stated. Continuing her work on a worldwide scale as her career progressed, Professor Maathai instigated and spearheaded the United Nations #BillionTreeCampaign, which has as of 2020 planted 13.94 billion trees worldwide.
Since they had successfully reached their initial goal, the organization has evolved its initiative with the rebranding as the One Trillion Tree Initiative in 2018.
Want to get involved and continue Professor Maathai’s legacy of sustainable development against deforestation and join the #TrillionTreeCampaign?
Check it out here: TrillionTreeCampaign.org
From her extraordinary work in sustainable development and empowerment of African women, Professor Maathai’s exemplary international honors range from a Nobel Peace Prize to a Légion d'honneur to the Indira Gandhi Prize and even to Grand Cordon status of the Order of the Rising Sun of Japan.
Discussing her incredible successes is key in recognizing the impact she has had as serves as a human rights and ecological icon while also acknowledging her impact on the world today.
Happy Black History Month to those observing this February in the United States, Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands!
You can read more impactful stories from Black individuals in history on this interactive timeline by The Guardian: bit.ly/3oQGchT
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