She is a woman who stood against the odds to carry out her heart’s desire. The road was not easy but she succeeded in passing through it despite frequent threats, arrests and tortures from the former government of the then ex-president of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi.
The state funeral given to her and the awards she had received while alive were attestation of the many lives she had touched and the good work she did.
Awards Wangari Maathai Received
Wangari Maathai received various prizes for her involvement in fighting for the rights of the people in Kenya especially discrimination against women, for democracy and her well-known stand against felling of trees by encouraging Kenyan Citizens to plant more trees.
The awards Wangari Maathai received were: Nobel Peace Prize (2004), The Petra Kelly Prize for Environment (2004), The Conservation Scientists Award (2004), WANGO Environment Award (2004), The Sophie Prize (2004), The Hunger Project’s Africa Prize for Leadership (1991), Goldman Environmental Prize (1991), Excellence Award from the Kenyan Community Abroad (2001), Golden Ark Award (1994), Better World Society Award (1986), Right Livelihood Award (1984), Woman of the Year Award (1983), Jane Adams Leadership Award (1993), Outstanding Vision and Commitment Award (2002), Juliet Hollister Award (2001) and the Windstar Award for the Environment (1988).
Wangari Maathai’s Early Years
Wangari Maathai was born in Nyeri County, Kenya, on April 1, 1940. She was one of the lucky winners to receive a scholarship to study at Mount St. Scholastica College which is now known as Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, U.S.A. She majored in Biology with minors in Chemistry and German. In 1964 she graduated with Bachelors Degree in Science. She also pursued further education at University of Pittsburgh, graduating with a Master's Degree in Biology.
She was appointed as a research assistant in veterinary medicine at the University of Nairobi. Also at the University of Nairobi, she furthered her Masters Degree and attained a PhD in Anatomy. She served as an assistant lecturer at the University of Nairobi and in 1974 as a senior lecturer in Anatomy, Chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy in 1976 and Associate Professor in 1977.
Wangari Maathai’s Later Life
Wangari Maathai was the founder of Green Belt Movement. This is a non-governmental organization which involved in the conservation of environment by concentrating on planting of trees to counter the high felling of tree which has serious consequences to humans and animals.
Wangari Maathai was also well-known for fighting for the rights of women and it’s through the Green Belt Movement that she enabled women to gain a meaningful employment whereby, by planting trees, they would earn from such an activity.
Wangari Maathai had a rough time in realizing her goals. She and other members of the Green Belt Movement were often oppressed and ridiculed, since women were treated as lesser beings and their place was seen to be at home, not in offices or talking against injustices to women. Despite opposition from the then government of former president Daniel Arap Moi, and the attitude of male towards female, their cries were at last heard, especially the support the movement received from the public – the Kenyan People, and the International Community.
In December 2002 when the current government of President Mwai Kibaki took control, Maathai garnered 98% votes in her constituency as a Member of Parliament and appointed by the president as the Assistant Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife in January, 2003.
On September 25, 2011 Wangari Maathai died at the Nairobi National hospital due to ovarian cancer. A state funeral was held in honor of her as dignitaries both locally and internationally, and the Kenyan people attended it to pay their last respect to this remarkable woman who accomplished so much.
The awards and recognitions reflected the struggles she endured to see women respected the same way as men and the benefits of planting trees opposed to deforestation which had serious ramifications both to humans, animals and plants – affected directly or indirectly.
Sources
GreenBeltMovement, Wangari Maathai. (Accessed October 5, 2011).
NobelPrize.org, Biography. (Accessed October 5, 2011).
Benny Njugna - Benny Njuguna is currently a Creative Writing Student, studying the course through distance learning with Writers Bureau. He currently ...
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