Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai is a politician and environmental activist from Kenya. She was born on April 1, 1940. She is the first women from the east and coastal part of Africa part of Africa to receive a Ph.D. for her contributions to environmental developments, peace, and democracy. The peace that the talks about are the ability to secure a living environment not just for the people that were living in Kenya at the moment but also for people that were still to be born. She was educated in the United States at the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied Veterinary Science. Later on, she went back to the University of Nairobi and became the chair of the Veterinary Department.  While working with the National Council of Women she developed the idea to improve the environment, this would slow the process of deforestation and desertification. Wangari Maathai is the founder of the Green Belt Movement in 1977, the purpose of this movement was to encourage the women to work together to seedling and plant trees to bind the soil, store rain, provide food and receive money for their work. She helped to mobilize African women in contributing to sustainable growth.