(1940-)
Wangari Matthai faced enormous obstacles in life, not the least of which was that in Kenyan tradition women are seen as the submissive property of men. Nevertheless, she stubbornly pursued an education and eventually became a professor of veterinary medicine. Soon after that, she entered a traditional marriage and had three children. But because of her growing activism, her husband called her "too educated, too strong, too successful, too stubborn, and too hard to control" and divorced her. The President of Kenya labeled her "a mad woman who is a threat to the order and security of the country" and encouraged the Kenyan people "to stamp out trouble-makers." Beaten, threatened with death, and in hiding during much of her long years of activism for human rights, women's rights, and environmentalism, Ms. Matthai has been courageously steadfast. Among her many accomplishments is the founding of the Green Belt Movement, an organization that concentrates on environmental conservation and community development by planting trees to protect the soil. It was through this organization that she became known throughout the world, and in 2004, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize "for aiding democracy and attempting to save Africa's forests."
© 2005-2007 The BetterWorld Project
"We can work together for a better world with men and women of goodwill, those who radiate the intrinsic goodness of humankind."
"Every one of us can make a contribution. And quite often we are looking for the big things and forget that, wherever we are, we can make a contribution. Sometimes I tell myself, I may only be planting a tree here, but just imagine what's happening if there are billions of people out there doing something. Just imagine the power of what we can do."
Despite continuing and constant opposition, the movement grows and expands. It shows that something can be done. Sometimes I marvel at the work we've done, despite the fact that maybe half of our time is spent just trying to survive. I wonder what we would have achieved if the government was supporting us instead of intimidating us.
The earth was naked. For me the mission was to try to cover it up with green.
The leaders don't know what they are doing. They are so blinded by greed they genuinely believe they should control all resources. They don't understand why we are willing to be abused, willing to put ourselves in danger.
Nyeri, Kenya, East Africa
I have copied and pasted the article above from this site Betterwoldheroes
A worthy site with many more wonderful Better World Heroes.
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