Their story
Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, mobilising communities — especially women — to plant over 51 million trees across Kenya. In 2004, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, recognised for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace. A member of parliament and Assistant Minister for the Environment, she wove together ecology, human rights, and social justice into a single, powerful vision.