Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan activist, founded the Green Belt Movement, promoting tree planting, environmental conservation, and women's rights.

Conservationist

April 1, 1940

Aries

September 25, 2011

71

Nyeri, Kenya

Wangari Maathai, a renowned Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, passed away on September 25, 2011, at the age of 71. She left behind a remarkable legacy of environmental conservation, women’s empowerment, and social justice.

Maathai was born in 1940 in Nyeri, Kenya, and earned a doctorate in biology from the University of Nairobi. She returned to Kenya and became an outspoken advocate for environmental conservation and women’s rights.

In 1977, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, a non-governmental organization that focused on planting trees, environmental conservation, and community empowerment. The Green Belt Movement mobilized women across Kenya to plant millions of trees, helping to combat deforestation and improve the environment.

Maathai’s work gained international recognition, and she received numerous awards for her efforts, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She became the first African woman and the first environmentalist to receive this prestigious honor.

Maathai’s legacy is marked by her unwavering commitment to environmental conservation, women’s empowerment, and social justice. She inspired millions of people around the world to take action against deforestation and environmental degradation.

The Green Belt Movement continues to thrive under Maathai’s successor, Judi Wakhungu, and has planted over 51 million trees in Kenya. Maathai’s work has had a profound impact on Kenya and beyond, and her legacy will continue to inspire future generations.