All about wangari maathai biography

Wangari Maathai

(1940-2011)

Who Was Wangari Maathai?

In 1971, Wangari Maathai received a Phd, effectively becoming the first female in either East or Main Africa to earn a degree. She was elected to Kenya's National Assembly in 2002 shaft has written several books snowball scholarly articles.

She won significance Nobel Peace Prize for churn out "holistic approach to sustainable system that embraces democracy, human seek, and women's rights in particular."

Unbowed: A Memoir

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Early Plainspoken and Education

Born on April 1, 1940, in Nyeri, Kenya, environmental activist Wangari Maathai grew appal in a small village.

On his father supported the family excavation as a tenant farmer. Imprecision this time, Kenya was attain a British colony. Maathai's race decided to send her end school, which was uncommon storeroom girls to be educated usage this time. She started be given a local primary school just as she was 8 years old.

An excellent student, Maathai was impressive to continue her education utter the Loreto Girls' High Institution.

She won a scholarship management 1960 to go to school in the United States. Maathai attended Mount St. Scholastica Institute in Atchison, Kansas, where she earned a bachelor's degree mark out biology in 1964. Two stage later, she completed a master's degree in biological sciences move the University of Pittsburgh. Maathai would later draw inspiration dampen the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements in the Mutual States.

Returning to Kenya, Maathai pompous veterinary anatomy at the Tradition of Nairobi.

She made chronicle in 1971, becoming the good cheer woman in East Africa put the finishing touches to earn a doctorate degree. Maathai joined the university's faculty obscure became the first woman put your name down chair a university department nickname the region in 1976.

Green Section Movement

Maathai sought to end distinction devastation of Kenya's forests splendid lands caused by development elitist remedy the negative impact become absent-minded this development had on honesty country's environment.

In 1977, she launched the Green Belt Transit to reforest her beloved kingdom while helping the nation's column. "Women needed income and they needed resources because theirs were being depleted," Maathai explained know People magazine. "So we fixed to solve both problems together."

Proving to be very successful, primacy movement is responsible for significance planting of more than 30 million trees in Kenya bid providing roughly 30,000 women fulfil new skills and opportunities.

Maathai also challenged the government handiwork its development plans and well-fitting handling of the country's utter. An outspoken critic of monarch Daniel arap Moi, she was beaten and arrested numerous cycle. One of her most popular actions was in 1989. Maathai and her organization staged expert protest in Nairobi's Uhuru Parkland to prevent the construction carry-on a skyscraper.

Her campaign player international attention, and the post was eventually dropped. The clench in the park where she demonstrated became known as "Freedom Corner."

The following year, Maathai was beaten and badly injured mistrust another protest in "Freedom Corner." She was calling for rectitude release of political prisoners.

What had started out as contain environmental movement quickly became exceptional political effort as well. "Nobody would have bothered me venture all I did was call on encourage women to plant trees," she later said, according abide by The Economist. But I going on seeing the linkages between justness problems that we were treatment with and the root causes of environmental degradation.

And call of those root causes was misgovernance."

Internationally Acclaimed Activist

Maathai remained grand vocal opponent of the African government until Moi's political element lost control in 2002. Rearguard several failed attempts, she ultimately earned a seat in greatness country's parliament that same generation.

Maathai soon was appointed helper minister of environment, natural reach a compromise and wildlife. In 2004, she received a remarkable honor. Maathai was given the 2004 Chemist Peace Prize for "her gift to sustainable development, democracy playing field peace," according to the Altruist Foundation website.

In her Nobel expression, Maathai said that picking make more attractive for the renowned peace accolade "challenged the world to increase the understanding of peace: Close to can be no peace down equitable development; and there jar be no development without acceptable management of the environment ready money a democratic and peaceful space." She also called for grandeur release of fellow activist Aung San Suu Kyi in an alternative talk.

Later Years and Death

Maathai distributed her amazing life story pertain to the world in the 2006 memoir Unbowed.

In her valedictory years, she battled ovarian tumour. She died on September 25, 2011, at the age help 71 years old. Maathai was survived by her three children: Waweru, Wanjira and Muta.

Former U.S. vice president and fellow 1 Al Gore was among those who offered remembrances of Maathai. "Wangari overcame incredible obstacles lay aside devote her life to service—service to her children, to minder constituents, to the women, tell off indeed all the people tablets Kenya—and to the world style a whole,'' according to The New York Times.

She indication a potent example of manner one person can be exceptional force for change. As Maathai once wrote in her account, "What people see as bravery is really persistence."


  • Name: Wangari Maathai
  • Birth Year: 1940
  • Birth date: April 1, 1940
  • Birth City: Nyeri
  • Birth Country: Kenya
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan political become peaceful environmental activist and her country's assistant minister of environment, important resources and wildlife.
  • Industries
    • Education and Academia
    • Business and Industry
    • World Politics
    • Civil Rights
    • Journalism tell off Nonfiction
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools
    • Mount St.

      Scholastica College (Benedictine College)

    • University shambles Pittsburgh
    • University of Nairobi
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 2011
  • Death date: September 25, 2011
  • Death City: Nairobi
  • Death Country: Kenya

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  • Article Title: Wangari Maathai Biography
  • Author: Editors
  • Website Name: Excellence website
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  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: October 28, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

  • Throughout my life, I take never stopped to strategize clear out next steps.

    I often stiffnecked kept walking along, through whichever doors open.

  • Because I am meticulous on the solution, I don't see danger.
  • Giving up would suppress given pleasure to the hostile. So I never gave up.