Wangari Maathai

Date of Birth:

01-Apr-1940

Nationality:

Kenya

Profession:

Environmentalist

Wangari Maathai was an eminent Kenyan Noble Prize laureate and environmentalist. She spent a major half of her life fighting for environmental issues. She also became the first environmentalist and African women to receive a Noble Laureate. Besides this she was also the first African women to be awarded a doctorate degree. Maathai earned prestigious positions at ‘University Of Nairobi’ owing to her exceptional academic background and oratory skills. In 1970s she founded the ‘Green Belt Movement’ that was aimed at planting trees in order to protect the environment. As years passed the non-government organization diversified and started focusing on women’s rights as well. She also turned into a political activist towards the latter half of her life. Here is a collection of views, thoughts, beliefs and causes for which she raised her voice in form of quotable quotes. Let us browse through some popular quotes and thoughts by Wangari Maathai that hold a world of wisdom.

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Wangari Maathai

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QUOTES BY Wangari Maathai

Human rights are not things that are put on the table for people to enjoy. These are things you fight for and then you protect.

There are opportunities even in the most difficult moments.

I’m very conscious of the fact that you can’t do it alone. It’s teamwork. When you do it alone you run the risk that when you are no longer there nobody else will do it.

What a friend we have in a tree, the tree is the symbol of hope, self improvement and what people can do for themselves.

We tend to put the environment last because we think the first thing we have to do is eliminate poverty. But you can't reduce poverty in a vacuum. You are doing it in an environment.

I’m very conscious of the fact that you can’t do it alone. It’s teamwork. When you do it alone you run the risk that when you are no longer there nobody else will do it.

Every person who has ever achieved anything has been knocked down many times. But all of them picked themselves up and kept going, and that is what I have always tried to do.