Wangari Maathai is known for her actions in favor of the environment and women’s rights. In 1977, she founded the Green Belt Movement that fights deforestation by planting trees. This non-governmental organization seeks to involve the locals and in particular women in tree planting.
Wangari Maathai was an activist who didn’t hesitate to denounce corruption therefore she made a number of enemies over the years. She was beaten and went to jail but she always kept militating because she knew she was doing the right thing. She received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. She thought that environmental protection and a good resource management are fundamental to equitable economic development and to preventing conflicts.
Wangari Maathai died on September 25, 2011. The movement she created perpetuates her memory and her reforestation action.
“It is wonderful when you don’t have the fear, and a lot of the time I don’t… I focus on what needs to be done instead.” Wangari Maathai