A Tribute to Wangari Maathai

It was a text at midnight last night (September 22nd) from Ronnie that told us of the passing of Wangari Maathai - a shock to those of us who respected Wangari and hoped that on our next trip to Kenya we would be able to meet the woman who has changed the role of Kenyan women. Kenya has lost one of its bright lights, human rights and environmental activist, educator and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize(2004).

Wangari is best known for starting the Green Belt Movement in 1977, a tree planting program to provide income and empower women to a better quality of life. She also educated them on the negative impacts of deforestation and the positive effects of replanting trees.

Ronnie remembers Wangari, "It's still sad to think that Wangari is gone. Her illness (ovarian cancer) was a guarded secret. I still remember her voice on the phone so clearly since she could not meet me, telling me to continue my good works. I remember her saying African women need to know it's okay to be the way they are - to see that they're a strength and to be liberated from fear and silence, a thing we have always told our Sere Girls Club members. In her honour I will mobilize our primary and secondary schools to ensure each kid and teachers plant trees."

Wangari did not have an easy time in her personal or business life but she stood up for what she believed in. Her memoirs relate that this often led to her being verbally and physically abused by those who did not agree with her or being thrown into jail. But Dr. Maathai showed Kenyan women that they could succeed and should not remain silent in the face of social injustice. I respect Dr. Maathai for her resilience in seeking a life free from poverty. My respect was also for Wangari's celebration of her African culture and heritage for I loved that she always wore her traditional African clothing. It is for all these reasons that The Ronnie Fund will continue to uphold Dr. Maathai's ideals and memory as a role model for our Sere Girls Club and with the many girls, young and older women that we come in contact with in our work in Wongonyi Village and all parts of Kenya.

I am told tht Wangari once said, "In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now."

We will uphold Wangari's ideals and as Canadians working in Kenya with the Kenyan people, we will give hope to each other through peaceful processes, collaboration and joyful spirits. May Dr. Maathai's memory live on in the continued planting of trees worldwide for peace.

Wangari Maathai - Peace for Kenya

Recently I finished reading Wangari Maathai's memoir "Unbowed". In this telling tale, Wangari Maathai, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, provides a history of her life to her present day position as Founder of the Green Belt Movement.

The book provides interesting insight into a Kenya, that just decades ago was self-sufficient and people living in rural villages enjoyed prosperity. She details how internal strife in the country coupled with colonialism and then a huge influx of international aid has spurned corruption and a decline in quality of life resulting in a revolving cycle of poverty.

Wangari is an amazing African woman, who benefitted from a chance opportunity through the Kennedy lift to study outside her country. But unlike many others who would remain in a developed country to enjoy prosperity, she returned to Kenya to use her knowledge to help repair a broken country. Her life has certainly not been easy, a broken marriage, opposition from government officials who sent her to jail on numerous occasions and even death threats have not broken or deflated her resolve. Even when her own country did not acknowledge her and her efforts, the global community did by awarding her the Nobel Peace Prize.

She started her campaign to heal Kenya by planting trees and through her Green Belt Movement she has mobilized thousands of women in rural villages to plant trees in an effort to bring peace and prosperity. And today the Green Belt Movement has spread to other developing and developed countries. Even today Wangari continues to encourage the women of Kenya to seek positions of power and leadership in their own villages and in government to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

I would recommend this book for anyone working in community development projects in Kenya who wants to get a sense of the history of Kenya and the reasons for the problems that exist today.

The Green Belt Movement - A Model for Community Development

"The Green Belt Movement has over the past 30 years shown that sustainable development linked with democratic values promotes human rights, social justice and equity, including the balance of power between women and men. The (Nobel Peace) Prize demonstrates that although the work of grassroots groups, especially women's groups, does not always make headline news, it does make a difference."

Wangari Maathai, 2004

In 2004 Kenyan Wangari Maathai received worldwide recognition for being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for sustainable development, democracy and peace, her most notable achievement being the creation of The Green Belt Movement, an organization promoting the planting of trees in Kenya and now around the world. I just finished reading her book "The Green Belt Movement, Sharing the Approach and the Experience", an intimate look into the creation of the organization and its achievements over the past 30 years.

For those of us working in Kenya in projects of sustainable development, agriculture and community initiatives this book is a must read. Wangari provides a history of Kenya and how it has lapsed into its present state of poverty but tempers that with a practical analysis of how improvements can be made ending with a positive outlook that hope exists for a new tomorrow. For those of us coming from a Western perspective, it gives us insight into the workings of Kenyan culture and how we can approach our projects so we get successful results. Of especial note is her chapter on Lessons Learned. We can all learn by heeding The Green Belt Movements experiences:

1. Community Development initiatives should address community-felt needs.

2. The messsage must make sense to the participants.

3. There is need for good leadership.

4. Work patiently to motivate communities.

5. Offer some short-term incentives.

6. Reach both decision makes and communities at the same time.

7. Field staff must be keen observers.

8. The community must understand the project.

9. The community must own the project.

10. Community development takes commitment.

11. Limited resources demand prioritization.

12. Democratic administration and management is key.

Community development takes patience, especially when you are working in a different culture. Not all the world works with the West's quick paced business style nor are all the resources readily available at your fingertips in Kenya. But with understanding, inclusive actions, an integrated community consultative program and lots of patience you will be able to achieve positive change. When we started The Ronnie Fund, we did not do so with the aim of imposing projects on Wongonyi village. We have followed Wangari's advice by relying on Ronnie to identify the needs of the community, to prioritize the projects and to negotiate with local administration. Through his leadership we have initiated several successful projects that the villagers have taken ownership of and that have made a difference in their lives in creating quality village life. There are still many needs and challenges in Wongonyi village but I have no doubt that The Ronnie Fund will continue to make positive changes.

For those of you who are heading non-governmental organizations working in Kenya at the grassroots level or those establishing schools and orphanages, I highly recommend you add this book to your library. Wangari's chapters on establishing a tree nursery project will also be very helpful as a model for instituting community development projects in Africa.