The Saga of Wangarĩ Maathai
Category
Local Heroes & Everyday Saviors
Era / Tenure
Active Era
Leaderboard Rank
#45 in Local Heroes & Everyday Saviors
Verified Hearts
36,100 Hearts
ORIGINS & FORMATIVE YEARS
Roots, Upbringing & Early Influences
Born in Ihithe village in Nyeri, Kenya in 1940, Wangarĩ Muta Maathai earned a biology degree in the United States on the Kennedy Airlift scholarship before becoming the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree.
THE STRUGGLE & HARDSHIPS
Facing Adversity, Rejections & The Grind
In the 1970s, Kenya was suffering rampant environmental degradation, soil erosion, and drying water streams, which left rural women walking miles for firewood while corrupt political elites cleared public forests for private commercial development.
Key Milestone & Career Defining Moment
Born in Ihithe village in Nyeri, Kenya in 1940, Wangarĩ Muta Maathai earned a biology degree in the United States on the Kennedy Airlift scholarship before becoming the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree.
