Wangari Maathi - Environmental Leader (Women Who Changed the World)

In this episode of "Check This Out!" hosts by Amy Contreras and Cece focus on remarkable women who have made significant contributions to the world. This episode spotlights Wangari Maathai, a trailblazer in environmental conservation and women's empowerment.

Listeners will learn about Maathai's groundbreaking achievements, including being the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate, founding the Green Belt Movement, and planting over 51 million trees in Kenya. 

Throughout the episode, Amy and Cece highlight crucial facts about Maathai's impact, including her role in politics, her numerous awards (including the Nobel Peace Prize), and her dedication to empowering Kenyan women. The episode wraps up with an engaging poem summarizing Maathai's legacy.

Transcript

Welcome to Check this out!  A podcast for kids 

(And their grown ups) where we talk about interesting people, places, ponderings, and past moments from history that made an impact on the world around us. 

My name is Amy Contreras and I’m Cece! 

Welcome back to another episode in our newest series  on…..

Cece: Women who changed the world! 

February is Black HIstory Month so our first few Women Who Changed the World episodes honor the Black women who have worked so hard to make our world a better place.  The women we are highlighting broke barriers, stood up for others, challenged what the world thought was possible, and created doors for future generations to walk through.  

Cece: They did so much

They did! And before we get into another episode in our series on 

Cece: Women who changed the world 

Make sure to subscribe so you can be first to get all of our new content and episodes!  

Cece: Let's get started 

I am so excited about today’s episode on Wangari Maathi.  I first learned about this woman who changed the world when reading a book with Cece a couple of years ago and I’ve been fascinated by her story ever since.  

Cece: I remember her!  

You’re going to learn all about her in today’s episode but she was just so incredible I cannot wait to share some amazing information about her.  She accomplished so much in her life and the list of how she impacted the world around her is long, but you need to know some of them right up front! 

Cece: Here are just a few… 

• She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree.
• She authored 4 books 
• She was the founder of the Green Belt Movement which has planted over 51 million trees in kenya and helped more than 900,000 kenyan women.  
• She was the first female professor in Kenya 
• She has won over 50 awards/recognitions through her career fighting for the environment and democracy. Examples include: 
  • 2010: Earth Hall of Fame, Kyoto (Japan)
  • 2007: The Nelson Mandela Award for Health & Human Rights, South Africa 
  • 2006: World Citizenship Award
  • 2005: One of the 100 Most Influential People in the World: Time magazine, USA
• She was also the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate- the first african woman to receive this honor 

Cece: Was there anything she didn’t do? 

I mean honestly she did even more than I just told you.  She was absolutely incredible which is why I had to hit you with all those cool facts right up front so you can understand why we are so excited to talk about her impact on the world around her and why she is a woman who changed the world.  

Cece: Listeners keep your ears open 

Because at the end of the episode we will give you 3 facts that you can continue to check out on your own if you want to learn more! See if you can guess what facts we highlight at the end of the episode!  

Now, let me tell you the story of Wangari Maathi and her impact 

Cece: I’m excited

Good! Back in the mid 1970s women in rural kenya were reporting that streams were drying up and they were having to walk further and further to get firewood.  Their food supply was also at risk.   

Cece: Thats terrible! 

Yes, and they couldn’t just go to the store to buy these things.  They had to go out and find them for their families.  At the time, Professor Maathi was working with the National Council of Women of Kenya, and so she heard about these reports and the struggles of the rural Kenyan women.  Dr Maathai had the idea that if village women could improve the environment by planting trees it would give them a fuel source for things like firewood and planting the trees could slow the processes of deforestation, thereby helping the environment. 

Cece: What does that mean? 

Check this out

Deforestation is a big word.  Have you heard of it before? Deforestation is basically when companies or people, or a government cut down a lot of trees in a specific area.  In Kenya deforestation happened where lots of trees were cut down or removed to make room for farms or mining.  So millions of trees in Kenya had been cut down.  

Cece: I want to check out more about that

You should! As a result of the reports Dr Maathi knew she had to do something.  

Cece: What did she do? 

In 1977 she founded The Green Belt Movement, an organization that still exists today.  The Green Belt Movement encouraged the Kenyan women to work together to grow tree seedlings and plant trees.  When they planted trees it helped  to bind the soil, which was good for the surrounding environment.  The green belt movement also taught the women how to  store rainwater, and provided them food and firewood. For their efforts of growing seedlings and planting trees the women received a small paycheck.  The green belt movement educated these women on the process and provided jobs and hope.  

Cece: That's amazing! 

Since 1977 the green belt movement has planted over 51 million trees in Kenya.  

Cece: Wow! 

I know, its incredible.  Wangari Maathi’s organization the Green Belt Movement still plants trees on public lands and have a partnership with the Kenya Army to help access remote areas for planting and tree planting on army lands.

While Dr Maathi was alive the Green Belt Movement established a Pan African Green Belt Network in 1986.  This network was used to teach 40 other individuals from African countries beyond Kenya to the tree planting approach.  Some other African countries that have successfully launched similar organizations include Tanzania, Uganda, Lesotho, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. 

But her tree planting efforts weren’t always met with open arms.  

Cece: What do you mean mama?  

Wangari Maathi also protested against use of the land that she felt was unethical or when people in positions of power were being unethical.   In 1992, she protested the Kenyan president’s distribution of land.  He was giving it to his friends and people who sucked up to him.  During the protest she was beaten unconscious by thugs and state police.

Cece: That is not ok 

But that didn’t stop her.  One of the reasons I’m so inspired by Dr Maathi is she didn’t just jump into action but she used her education and experience to teach others and equip them with the knowledge.  

Cece: She sounds really smart.  

She was! Did I mention how highly educated she was?  She was born in Kenya in 1940 but she attended college in the United states.  She got her degree in Biological Sciences from Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas in 1964. After that she got a Master of Science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1966. 

She studied for her doctorate degree in Germany and the University of Nairobi, she got her Ph.D. in 1971 from the University of Nairobi.  

Wangari Maathi was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree.

Cece: WOW 

At the University of Nairobi she was a professor of veterinary anatomy. She became chair of the Department in 1976 and an associate professor 1977. For being department chair and associate professor she was the first woman to achieve those positions in the region.

Cece: My mind is blown 

Her education and focus made her a trailblazer, but the creation and impact of her organization the Green Belt Movement was far reaching and what ultimately led her to be recognized as a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate in 2004.  

Cece: What does that mean mama? 

The Nobel Peace Prize is an international award  that is given to people or organizations that work to create peace and resolve conflict around the world. It is one of the highest honors in the world.

Cece: Oh thats important

Her nobel prize was for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.  

Her conservation work is incredibly important!  The work Professor Maathi did for the environment by planting all those trees is also known as conservation work, or working to protect the environment.  In addition to her conservation work she was an advocate for human rights and women’s issues.  She raised these issues to the United Nations, increasing awareness and action.    

Cece: Was there anything she didn’t do? 

She also saw through her work with the poor in the Green Belt Movement how deforestation and environmental impacts were tied back to democracy and the role of leaders.  She saw that elected leaders had the opportunity to use funds and resources to protect and invest in the environment but they often didn’t choose to do that.   Over time she became more involved in politics as an activist and advisor, bringing environmental concerns to public leaders.   

In December 2002, Professor Maathai was elected to parliament in Kenya with an overwhelming 98% of the vote. She was also appointed as Assistant Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife by the president.

Before she died in 2011 she authored 4 books. One explained the philosophy of the green belt movement, one was an autobiography of her life, and the other books focused on Africa.  

Cece: She had a lot of jobs 

She was a driven woman who saw a path to make the lives of others around her better, but specifically the women of kenya.  She was a pioneer who linked environmental protection with human rights and helped show that protecting the environment also protects the lives of the people who live in that space.  And it means holding people in power accountable and using democracy to drive change for human rights and the environment.  

Dr Maathi helped more than 900,000 Kenyan women from her tree-planting campaign by selling seedlings for reforestation.  

Cece: What an amazing story 

She is an amazing story.  Even at the end of her life.  During her last days, she struggled with ovarian cancer.  While she lay in the hospital Professor Maathai begged that she did not want to be buried in a wooden coffin, another part of her life-long battle to save trees and the rest of the environment.

I hope you learned something new about this incredible woman who changed the world.  Now we are going to give you 3 facts you can research further after the episode is over.  

Do you think you can guess what they are?  

Cece: Fact #1 

Professor Maathi established the Green Belt Movement in 1977 and has helped plant over 51 million trees in Kenya.  Learn more about the green belt movement, investigate how they empower women and work to fight for democracy!  

Fact #2

She was elected to Parliament and was involved in politics to help advocate for the environment and human rights.  Learn about what other roles he held!  

Fact #3

She won LOTS of awards in her life.  Over 50 internationally recognized ones.  Learn more about some of these awards like the Nobel Peace Prize, the World Citizenship award, or the earth hall of fame.  

Cece: What was your favorite fact? 

We are almost done with our episode on Woman who changed the world Wangari Maathi, but first you know we can’t finish up an episode without ending on a rhyme! 

Cece: We wrote you a poem! 

 In Kenya's land, where the sun shines bright,
Wangari Maathai fought for what was right.

She created a movement for earth and for girls

Educating them with the seeds, natures pearls

She and others learned and planted trees, 

Their efforts helping Kenya, bringing back the green. 

A doctor, a teacher, she paved the way,
For Kenyan women to grow stronger every day.

With over fifty million trees growing a new,

She did with many what would be impossible with few 

She taught us to take action to plant and stand 

Nobel winner, activist, professor, a true helping hand! 

This was episode 14 of Check this out! Podcast 4 kids and the 4th episode in our series on Women Who Changed the world as we also celebrate black history month and the stories of the amazing black women who have changed the world through their legacies.  

Here at the “check this out” we know there is a lot of information and it can be overwhelming to find accurate information! This podcast is a tool for you to help you do something called “citing your sources”. As you get older and do projects for school you’ll learn that certain types of websites or information sources aren’t verified or have evidence and documentation to back them up.  On “check this out” we use verified sources to build the stories you hear about.  

Verified sources are materials or information that have been confirmed for accuracy, and credibility through an evaluation process!  Our sources for this week's episode greenbeltmovement.org, nobel prize.org, the united nations, and encyclopedia britannica.  

Cece: Thanks for listening, see you next episode 

https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai 

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/biographical/ 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wangari-Maathai 

https://www.un.org/africarenewal/web-features/wangari-maathai-woman-trees-dies