Wangari Maathai was the Kenyan founder of the Green Belt Movement, a grassroots NGO that combines ecofeminism with community development to combat deforestation. The premise is simple – mobilizing women to plant trees – but the benefits have been manifold, and have included providing habitat for wildlife, fuel sources for rural communities, and a solution to soil erosion and desertification. The trees also became a symbol of peace and democracy for the democratic struggle in Kenya. Since 1977, when Maathai established the movement, Kenyan women have planted over 51 million trees. The Green Belt Movement’s scope has since grown to include environmental activism and capacity building to train women in trades that help them maintain independence while preserving natural resources in their community.
The Green Belt Movement
"The Story of the Hummingbird"
In 2014, Wangari Maathai was the first African woman awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
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