Wangarĩ Muta Maathai was a Kenyan social, environmental and political activist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Why was Wangari Maathai cremated?

Because she opposed cutting down trees, her remains were placed in a bamboo-frame coffin, made of water hyacinth and papyrus reeds and draped with a Kenyan flag. After the funeral, she was cremated at a private ceremony. ... "Wangari's legacy goes beyond Kenya - all over the world," said Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

How old was Wangari Maathai when she died?

Kenya's Wangari Muta Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, environmentalist and human rights activist, died 25 September at age 71. A mother of three, she devoted her life to promoting the environment and democracy.

What happened to Wangari?

In her final years, she battled ovarian cancer. She died on September 25, 2011, at the age of 71 years old.

What problems did Wangari Maathai face?

Shortly after beginning this work, Professor Maathai saw that behind the everyday hardships of the poor—environmental degradation, deforestation, and food insecurity—were deeper issues of disempowerment, disenfranchisement, and a loss of the traditional values that had previously enabled communities to protect their ...

Wangari Maathai to be Cremated

Who killed Wangari Maathai?

Maathai died of complications from ovarian cancer on 25 September 2011.

When was Wangari Maathai born?

Wangari Maathai, in full Wangari Muta Maathai, (born April 1, 1940, Nyeri, Kenya—died September 25, 2011, Nairobi), Kenyan politician and environmental activist who was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize for Peace, becoming the first Black African woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Why did Wangari Maathai get the Nobel Peace Prize?

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004 to Wangari Maathai for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace. Peace on earth depends on our ability to secure our living environment. ... Maathai stood up courageously against the former oppressive regime in Kenya.

How did Wangari Maathai wish to spend her prize money?

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004 to Wangari Maathai for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace. Peace on earth depends on our ability to secure our living environment.

How many trees did Wangari Maathai plant?

Founded in 1977 by Professor Wangari Maathai, the Green Belt Movement (GBM) has planted over 51 million trees in Kenya.

How did Wangari Maathai change the world?

To date, the Green Belt Movement has planted over 45 million trees across Kenya to combat deforestation, stop soil erosion, and generate income for women and their families. Wangari Maathai was a humanitarian. She fought the vicious cycle of environmental degradation and poverty. ... Wangari Maathai was a peacemaker.

What kind of trees did Wangari Maathai plant?

Born near a holy fig tree in the central highlands of Kenya twenty years after the country became a British colony, Wangari Maathai (April 1, 1940–September 25, 2011) went on to become the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for her triumph of promoting “ecologically viable social, economic and ...

What is the meaning of Green Belt Movement?

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) is an indigenous, grassroots, non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya, that takes a holistic approach to development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capacity building.

Where is Kenya?

Kenya is located in East Africa. Its terrain rises from a low coastal plain on the Indian Ocean to mountains and plateaus at its center. Most Kenyans live in the highlands, where Nairobi, the capital, sits at an altitude of 5,500 feet (1,700 meters).

Was Wangari Maathai married?

In April 1966, after returning to Kenya, Wangari Muta met her future husband, Mwangi Mathai, a politician. The two married in May 1969.

Did Wangari Maathai have a family?

Family and Marriage

She married Mwangi Mathai in 1969 who became politically active and they had three children, two daughters (Wanjira Mathai, Muta Mathai) and one son (Waweru Mathai).

Who was important to Wangari Maathai?

Sustainable Development, Democracy and Peace

Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She was also the first female scholar from East and Central Africa to take a doctorate (in biology), and the first female professor ever in her home country of Kenya.

What inspired Maathai?

Her activism started from a dream when she lived in rural Kenya as a child. She would dream about running next to a stream that no longer existed, and that dream inspired her to create an environmental grassroots organization that transformed the lives on many women and children.