Sowing the seeds of hope
Wangari Maathai, a member of the National Council of Women of Kenya, noticed mothers feeding their children on processed white
bread and margarine with sweetened tea, and realized this had to do with the scarcity of firewood for cooking. All around her she saw
unhealthy children and degraded land where forests had been razed for plantations and fuel. Overcultivated fields with no trees
exposed the land to the sun and rains, which were washing away fertile soil. On World Environment Day in 1977, Wangari planted
seven trees in her backyard.
She urged farmers - 70 per cent of whom are women - to plant protective green belts of trees. She went to schools to involve children
and, through them, their parents, in a campaign to regenerate the growth of indigenous trees. Out of this campaign grew her
organization, the Green Belt Movement. It has supplied a thousand tree nurseries to rural areas, where local staff distribute tools and
train people to collect and plant seeds. The organization has given jobs to hundreds of people all over Kenya, including the
handicapped, the poor, and unemployed youth.
By planting trees in her backyard, Wangari Maathai started a huge movement that has literally changed the face of Kenya. And this
was just the beginning. The Green Belt Movement has reached many poor and illiterate women, winning their trust and empowering
them. Today, the organization teaches these women about good nutrition in traditional foods, and promotes family planning.
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