Wangari Maathai Research Paper

It starts with one person, one idea, and one voice to start something big, to be the change one wants to see in the world, and to improve the world for future generations. As Wangari Maathai once said, “I will be a hummingbird; I will do the best I can”. The folktale of the hummingbird goes: there was a fire devouring the forest and while all the other animals sat watching, the hummingbird took one drop of water and put it on the fire back and forth as fast as it could. When the other animals told the hummingbird that his wings and beak were too small and that he could not put out the huge fire, the hummingbird replied, ‘I'm doing the best I can’. Wangari Maathai grew up in the fields of Kenya with her mother and studied in the U.S.. After getting a degree, she moved back to Kenya and received her PhD. She always loved the environment and wanted to improve the lives of women in her country, but after hearing complaints about life conditions, she founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977. It started as a few women planting trees, but grew to something much bigger; thousands of women participating in the efforts to better the environment. She kept advocating and became the first African woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Her movement continues today and they have planted over 35 million trees. …show more content…
With strong beliefs and positive role models, Wangari Maathai overcame many obstacles to dramatically improve the lives of thousands of poor women while also preserving natural resources and the