Wangarĩ Maathai

Wangari Muta Maathai

human

Ein sex anaa gender	female
Ein country of citizenship	Kenya Colony, Kenya
Name in native language	Wangari Maathai
Birth name	Wangarĩ Muta
Ein date of birth	1 April 1940
Place dem born am	Nyeri
Date wey edie	25 September 2011
Place wey edie	Nairobi
Manner of death	natural causes
Cause of death	ovarian cancer
Spouse	Mwangi Maathai
Kiddie	Wanjira Mathai
Languages edey speak, rep anaa sign	English, Swahili, Gikuyu
Ein occupation	teacher, politician
Employer	Yale University
Position ehold	Minister of Environment of Kenya, Member of the National Assembly
Academic degree	Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy
Residence	Nairobi
Political party ein member	Mazingira Green Party of Kenya
Ethnic group
Religion anaa worldview	Catholic Church
Eye color	dark brown
Hair color	black hair
Member of	Alpha Kappa Alpha, Nobel Women's Initiative

Wangarĩ Maathai (/wænˈɡɑːri mɑːˈðaɪ/; 1 April 1940 – 25 September 2011) was a Kenyan social, environmental, and political activist who dey found de Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on de planting of trees, environmental conservation, and de women's rights. In de year 2004 she dey became de first African woman to win de Nobel Peace Prize.

As one wey benefit from Kennedy Airlift, e go school for America, e get bachelor's degree from Mount St. Scholastica College for Atchison, Kansas and master's degree from University of Pittsburgh for Pittsburgh. E go become de first woman for East and Central Africa to get Doctor of Philosophy, e get im Ph.D. from University of Nairobi for Nairobi, Kenya In de year 1984, she dey received de Right Livelihood Award for "converting the Kenyan ecological debate into mass action for de reforestation."

Wangari Maathai na elected member of Kenya parliament, and from January 2003 to November 2005, e serve as assistant minister for environment and natural resources under President Mwai Kibaki. E also be Honorary Councillor for World Future Council.Maathai be scholar and author of several books, e no be just activist, e be intellectual wey make big contributions to ecological thinking, development, and gender issues, and also African cultures and faiths.[6] She dey pass away on 25 September 2011 because of ovarian cancer complications.

Early life and education

Maathai wey them born her on 1 April 1940 in de village of Ihithe, Nyeri District, in de central highlands of de colony of Kenya. Im family be Kikuyu, di most populous tribe for Kenya, and dem been dey live for dat place for long time, from dem ancestors.[9] For around 1943, Maathai's family move go live for white man's farm for Rift Valley near Nakuru, where im dad find work.[10]For late 1947, e go back Ihithe with im mama, because im two brothers dey attend primary school for village, and dem no get school for farm wey im dad dey work. Im dad still dey farm.[11] After short time, wen e be 8 years, e join im brothers for Ihithe Primary School.

Wen e be 11 years, Maathai move go St. Cecilia's Intermediate Primary School, boarding school wey dey Mathari Catholic Mission for Nyeri.[12] E study for St. Cecilia's for four years. For dat time, e become fluent for English and e convert to Catholicism. E also join Legion of Mary, dem dey try serve God by serving people."[13] For St. Cecilia's, e dey safe from Mau Mau fight wey dey happen, but im mama have to leave dem house go emergency village for Ihithe.[14]Wen Maathai finish school for 1956, e be number one for im class, and dem give am admission to Loreto High School for Limuru, di only Catholic high school for girls for Kenya.[15]

As East Africa colonial time dey end, Kenyan politicians like Tom Mboya dey propose ways to make Western education available to smart students. John F. Kennedy, wey be US senator den, agree fund di program through im brother's foundation, and dem call am Kennedy Airlift or Airlift Africa. Maathai be one of about 300 Kenyans wey dem select go study for US for September 1960.[16]

E get scholarship go study for Mount St. Scholastica College (now Benedictine College), for Atchison, Kansas, e study biology, and e take chemistry and German as im minor.[17] After e get Bachelor of Science degree for 1964, e go University of Pittsburgh study for master's degree in biology. Africa-America Institute fund im graduate studies,[18]Wen e dey Pittsburgh, e experience environmental restoration first time, as local people dey fight to clean city air from pollution.[19]For January 1966, Maathai get im MSc degree for biological science Dem appoint am as research assistant to professor of zoology for University College of Nairobi, Nairobi.[21]

Wen e come back Kenya, e stop using dat name, e prefer dem call am Wangari Muta, im birth name.[22] Wen e go university start work, dem tell am say dem don give di job to another person. E think na because of im gender and tribe dem do am.[23]After e search job for two months, Professor Reinhold Hofmann from University of Giessen, Giessen, offer am job as research assistant for microanatomy section, wey be part of new Department of Veterinary Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College of Nairob.[24]

For April 1966, e meet Mwangi Mathai, another Kenyan wey study for America, and dem later marry.[25]E also rent small shop for city, open general store, and im sisters dey work dey. For 1967, Professor Hofmann encourage am to go University of Giessen, Germany, go get doctorate. E study for Giessen and University of Munich. For 1969 spring, e come back Nairobi, continue im studies for University College of Nairobi as assistant lecturer. For May, e and Mwangi Mathai marry[26] Later dat year, e dey pregnant with im first pikin, and im husband dey campaign for Parliament seat, but e lose by small margin. During dat election time, Tom Mboya, wey help send am abroad, dem kill am. After dat, President Kenyatta stop multi-party democracy for Kenya. Short time after, e give birth to im first son, Waweru.[27]For 1971, e become first Eastern African woman wey get PhD, im doctorate na veterinary anatomy, Maathai get PhD from University College of Nairobi, wey later become University of Nairobi. Im dissertation be on development and differentiation of gonads for bovines.[28] Im daughter, Wanjira, born for December 1987.

For late 1980s, Kenyan government start dey against Maathai and Green Belt Movement. Dey no like say dem dey fight for democratic rights. Government use old law wey dey say groups of more than nine people no fit meet without license. For 1988, Green Belt Movement dey do pro-democracy things like registering voters for election and demanding constitutional reform and freedom to express demsef. But government cheat for election to stay in power, according to Maathai.[48]

For October 1989, Maathai hear about plan build 60-storey Kenya Times Media Trust Complex for Uhuru Park. Di complex go house KANU HQ, Kenya Times newspaper, offices, auditorium, galleries, shopping malls and 2,000 car park. Dem plan big statue of President Daniel Arap Moi too. Maathai no like am, so e write protest letters to Kenya Times, President's office, Nairobi city commission and UNEP among others., de executive director of de United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),Maathai also write letters to Ministry of Public Works and Permanent Secretary for International Security. E even reach out to Sir John Johnson, British High Commissioner, ask am to talk to Robert Maxwell, big investor for di project. E compare build tower for Uhuru Park to build am for Hyde Park or Central Park, say na no go fit tolerate am.[49]

Government no respond to im inquiries and protests, instead dem respond through media say Maathai na crazy woman; say denying project for Uhuru Park go take more than small portion of public park land; and dem declare project as fine and magnificent work of architecture wey only ignorant few oppose. For November 8, 1989, Parliament express outrage at Maathai's actions, complain say e write letters to foreign organisations and dem call Green Belt Movement bogus organisation and dem members bunch of divorcees, and dem suggest say if Maathai fit write to Europeans so well, maybe e should go live for Europe.[50]

"Despite Maathai's protests and many people protesting for city, dem start build di complex for Uhuru Park on November 15, 1989. Maathai go court ask dem stop construction, but dem no accept on December 11. President Moi talk say people wey no like di project get "insects for dem head". On December 12, President Moi talk say for Uhuru Park, say Maathai should be proper African woman, respect men and keep quiet.[51] Government force Maathai vacate office, Green Belt Movement relocate to im home. Dem audit di organisation, seemingly to shut am down. However, im protests and media attention lead to foreign investors pulling out, and di project get cancelled for January 199[53]

For January 1992, Maathai and other pro-democracy activists discover say dem get list of people wey government target for assassination and say government-sponsored coup possible, and Maathai's name dey on di list. Di pro-democracy group, Forum for Restoration of Democracy, present dem information to media, calling for general election. Later that day, Maathai receive warning say one of dem members don arrest, so e decide barricade imself for im home. Shortly after, police arrive surround di house, and she stay dey for three days. Police eventually cut through di bars wey she install for windows, enter di house, and arrest am. Dem charge am and other pro-democracy activists wey dem arrest with spreading malicious rumors, sedition, and treason. After day and half for jail, dem bring dem go hearing and release dem on bail. Many international organisations and eight senators, including Al Gore and Edward M. Kennedy, pressure Kenyan government make dem prove charges against pro-democracy activists or risk damage relations with United States. Eventually, for November 1992, Kenyan government drop charges.[54]

On February 28, 1992, while dem release am on bail, Maathai and others go on hunger strike for one corner of Uhuru Park, wey dem call Freedom Corner, to pressure government release political prisoners. After four days, on March 3, 1992, police forcefully remove di protesters. Police knock Maathai and three others unconscious, and dem take dem go hospital. President Daniel arap Moi call am "mad woman" and say e be "threat to order and security of di country. Di attack get international criticism. US State Department say dem "deeply concerned" by di violence and di forcible removal of di hunger strikers. When dem no release di prisoners, di protesters - mostly mothers of those for prison - move dem protest to All Saints Cathedral, di seat of Anglican Archbishop for Kenya, across from Uhuru Park. Di protest continue dey, with Maathai contributing frequently, till early 1993 when dem finally release di prisoners.[58]