Green Belt Movement
Grantham University
Written By: Shanice Brooks
Green Belt Movement
Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement has planted over 40 million trees all over Africa. Wangari Maathai was the first African women to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to sustainable development, democracy, and peace and founded of the Green Belt Movement offers a refreshingly unique perspective on the challenges facing Africa. Wangari is loved by the people and she gain respect from them all. She helped and put forth the end to environment degradation. Forest’s need to used more sustainably and the government and individuals can reduce tropical deforestation. Wangari’s Green Belt Movement was the one that bought everyone together so that they can work as a team. Wangari became very important to the people of Kenya, Africa and the international community. There were some issues that Maathai felt strongly about that will affect other’s lives on a daily basis. One of the issues that Maathai is very active on the issue of environmental conservation. Due to her role in the environment and the Green Belt Movement there were more than 20 or 40 million trees that have been planted which lead to other countries to start a tree planting program that help people to care and learn to [plant trees. Women all over the world was helped by the examples that Maathai sets. Maathai has served as an inspiration for many in the fight for democratic rights and has especially encourage women to better their situations. The Green Belt Movement organizes rural women in Kenya to plant trees because some of the people there didn’t really take good care of the trees so they put effort that combats deforestation while they generate income for the community and promoting empowerment for women. Since Maathai founded the GBM over millions of trees have been planted and nearly over 30,000 women have been trained in forestry, food processing, beekeeping, and other sustainable and last is income generating activities. The GBM do have some challenges that they had to face until Maathai stepped in to do what she can do to help Kenya with the GBM and other problems that they have. Lydria Gathii is one of the Green Belt Movement volunteer helper that help the women form groups and show them how to form tree nurseries which do a very good job at helping others. With the poverty that’s going on in Kenya Maathai reducing poverty by opening a Women for change Facility to help young women in Kenya Africa face their sexual and reproductive health problems such as preventing AIDS and HIV. The income that the group of Kenyans have help with the organization by selling their seedlings and being educated about the environment and how to progressively save it. Maathai continuing to reduce poverty in Kenya one day at a time so that they won’t have to worry about anything. After everything that Maathai did for her country she died on September 25, 2011 at the age of 71 after a battle of ovarian cancer all her memories will live on. To use forests in a more sustainable way, humans must make use of quick return woods such as some pines and bamboo. Woodland gardening techniques, reusing wood products and finding wood substitute. Three ways in which governments and individuals can reduce tropical deforestation are supporting Eco- forestry where only the minimal needed trees are cut, recycling papers to reduce the need to cut down trees and using alternative products to wood, such as bamboo, which is a quickly self- replenishing resource with multiple uses. Another thing is to help sustain tropical forests of the world must be united to discourage deforestation and degradation. The effort of slow population growth, decrease/ eliminate world poverty and provide environmentally supportive government that subsidies and reduce the debts owed by the developing countries which place a monetary value on ecological services provided by tropical forests.
Keywords Greenbelt Movement, Nobel Peace Prize, deforestation,)
References
Maathai, Wangari (2004). Greenbelt Movement.
www.greenbeltmovement.org
References: Maathai, Wangari (2004). Greenbelt Movement. www.greenbeltmovement.org
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
After the death of Khubulai Khan, the four uluses divided forming their own independent states. These four powers remained autonomous, until the territories internally began to divide and ultimately fall apart. The first of the khanates to collapse were the Yuan Dynasty and the Ilkhanid, while the Chagatai and the Golden Horde were able to stay in control relatively longer. It is most likely that these two uluses were the first to dissolve because Mongol steppe and traditional life never prospered in those regions, but rather these areas were allowed to maintain their old cultural identity (Morgan, 2007, p. 175).…
- 690 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
She became valuable as a guide in the region of her birth, near the Three Forks of the Missouri…
- 446 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
This paper provides insights on how globalization has affected the Maasai culture’s Homestead and labor and Subsistence economy. The Maasai people are believed to be the descendants of the Maasainta race and are one of the most recognized tribes in Africa. There are many photos or stories depicting the people of this renowned tribe. According to the Maasai association (n.d.), the Maasai with a population over one and a half million people lives along the Great Rift Valley in East Africa around southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Massai were once a highly self-sufficient people who were mostly pastoralist. They are fierce warriors and it made them the most prolific force in the Eastern African region. The Maasai culture honors warriors and their importance; consequently, being born a Maasai is to be born into a world of great warriors. The Maasai culture or Maa people consist of sixteen sections. They occupy the southern part of Kenya and the northern districts of Tanzania. In Kenya, they presently reside in three counties namely Narok, Kajiado, and Samburu. Some small groups like the Ilchamus (Njemps) live around Lake Baringo and Lakipia District. InTanzania, the large population resides in Longido, Monduli, Ngorogor, Simanjiro and kiteto (Maasai Association,…
- 1548 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Immigration is a common phenomenon in the contemporary world. Travelling and adapting across cultures have turned into major issues and concerns of the contemporary globalizing environment . It’s impact is evident in the contemporary fiction as well. Whether it be diaspora writers of yester years or the present time, all of them feel the pangs of separation from their root and difficulty in adjusting in the new environment. A sense of loss and the struggle to survive in the new setting pervade their writings. Besides, a crisis of communication between the cultures is also evident. It is through literature that many of them try to come to terms with their immigrant condition. They try “to find a voice of their own by making the two worlds they are forced to live in…
- 1218 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
For instance, “Tanzania’s deindustrialization and austerity measures gave rise to formal and informal collective economic strategies that challenge and/or created alternatives to multinational capital. To supplement falling real households incomes, many women have been drawn into the so-called informal sector of the economy, where they became involved in projects such as selling pastries and crafts and urban farming” (998). Hence, women began to corporate in these project, thus women from diverse personal economic, religion, and social tribe united. In addition, “Poor urban women who were involved together in a sewing project, for example , used that money to start a cooperative flour mill, and others open cooperative stores and manufacturing firms” (998). Thus, women use networks and engage in this network in attempt to survive and become independent of the capital system, although exploration of a women in a third-world will inevitably lead to…
- 504 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The !Kung are hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa and the women play an essential role in the production of subsistence for their families. The woman actually contribute a greater proportion of the subsistence to their families directly than do the men who are the game hunters in the family. As Friedl describes in “Society and Sex Roles” (page 101) regardless of who produces food, the person who gives it to others creates the obligations and alliances that are at the center of all political relations.” The woman from birth are the gathers within the !Kung and Friedl believes that it is due to four inter-related factors as to why the woman are the foragers; the variability in the supply of game, the different skills required for hunting and gathering; the incompatibility between carrying burdens and hunting; and the small size of semi-nomadic foraging populations (page 102). !Kung women play a very vital role in the survival of their families through their gathering of subsistence and they are not simply laborers but they are owners and/or distributors of what they bring home. However, they remain to be the less powerful of the genders within their culture. The !Kung woman’s role is critical to the survival of their villages because when unsuccessful hunters come home without protein (game) it is the woman who will feed the men, children and the elderly within their village and because they strictly provide for their family as the foragers they are not, based on Friedl’s’ theories, the one who disperses food to others. Thus, !Kung women are not considered to be the person with seniority…
- 1782 Words
- 8 Pages
Good Essays -
The landscape in Kenya is beautiful, filled with amazing colours. The wildlife has this incredible way of communicating that is fascinating to watch. It's the beginning of summer. The grass is so lush and green, the lakes are filled with crystal clear water and there is an array of wonderful animals. It's as though you're in a perfect world where nothing goes wrong and you never want to close your eyes, but you do close your eyes and you do realise that this beautiful country is suffering from starvation, malnutrition, poverty and racism. You sometimes wonder how it could be possible when you see how joyful and appreciative Kenyan people are.…
- 769 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
“The Green Belt Movement (GBM) is an environmental organization that empowers communities, particularly women, to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods.” (6) Most of us though would associate more with household names such as Senator Hillary Clinton who failed in her attempt to be the first female President of the United States, or Oprah Winfrey the actress, talk show host, producer and widely known for her philanthropy. All these women have fought against injustices, and have dispelled the stereotypes placed on…
- 1008 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
All my key accomplishments can be traced to my Peace Corps service. With my counterpart Dera, I have organized and trained over 250 Malagasy rural farmers in business, nutrition, water sanitation, perma-gardening and small animal husbandry. As a result, we launched four businesses:…
- 245 Words
- 1 Page
Good Essays -
Unbowed was written to tell the captivating life story of Wangari Maathai. Maathai was a woman from Kenya who struggled against oppression due to her gender, ethnicity, and political belief. This woman achieved many first for the women of Kenya. She established the international Green Belt Movement, earned her Ph. D, and was the first African woman and environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This story gave life to what we learned in class. The movies and documentaries we watched never did the information justice. However, this book gave light to the struggles that many African people had to deal with during and after colonization.…
- 962 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
One of the main things is that woman in Africa are the back bone to the families and communities in general. Women are the ones that make all the decision and do the agricultural work. As we could say it, they are the ones that keep society going. There are many strengths in this income is coming in because of the agricultural and families are healthier for that. The author states, “When women are fully involved, the benefits can be seen immediately: Families are healthier; they are better fed; their income, savings, and reinvestments go up (Annan 307). But the same way we can see there are strengths, there is also a weakness. Most of the people that get affected by AIDS and H.I.V. are women. The author states, “ A United Nations report released last month shows that women now make up 50 percent of those infected with H.I.V. worldwide- and in Africa that figure is now 59 percent (Annan 307). This just means that we need to help them women especially in the prevention of H.I.V. and AIDS.…
- 593 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Many children in the world are born and raised into cross cultural lives. Jhumpa Lahiri is an example of one of those people. Lahiris life experiences influence her symbolism, themes and styles of her writing. Growing up in America, she was greatly influenced by the Indian and American culture making her an Indian American. Jhumpa Lahiris personal experience as an Indian American is conveyed through Lilia’s cross cultural struggles in “Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” Mr. Kipasis perspective on Mrs. Das and the American culture in “The Interpreter of Maladies,” and Miranda’s personal struggles and interest in the Indian culture in the story “Sexy.”…
- 1197 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In Wangari Maathai’s speech at the World Forum, she explored the idea of the mass waste of resources from the wealthy, and it is not being used efficiently if it was used wisely then the world crisis will be solved. Maathai believed that if the resources were not wasted massively, it will end poverty. As the wealthy’s riches are depleting, humans forget to address the real problems of the world. In the speech, Maathai stated that the reason there is no peace is because the world focuses on conflicts, instead of ending world crisis. The resources created competition, and this motivated the rich to be wealthier instead of learning to share, and this left the poor with no clean water, food, and medical care. World peace is not being achieved…
- 254 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
It is most apparent that all economic activities have an impact on the environment. Deforestation has quickly become one of the most prevalent issues in the world today, and has been broadened by globalization making it a major concern in today’s society. Deforestation is a non-temporary change of land use from forest to other land use or depletion of forest crown to less than 10 percent. Unfortunately deforestation has many negative effects, even if the work is unintentional. The demand for deforestation is rampant and the quickly disappearing forest in Uganda leaves much concern for our economy. Uganda is a country in East Africa that is bordered by many places such as Kenya, South Sudan and Rwanda. (See figure 1) Logging for tropical hardwoods, fuel wood, and the paper industry are the primary reasons for the clear cutting to occur. Unfortunately the devastation of deforestation brings large profits, which ultimately is what the government and logging companies are after. Many of these people turn their heads and refuse to see the effects that their actions leave on the environment. This essay will bring forward the discussion on the impacts of deforestation, how it affects the water resources and wildlife biodiversity in Uganda, as well as the proposed solutions.…
- 868 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
‘The Hunt’ is a story of a rural tribal woman from India. Her name is Mary. She is harassed and stalked by a male logging contractor named Tehsildar who earlier came to her village to buy logging rights. He grows lustful of her. She resists his sexual advances. In an act of self-preservation later on, she turns predator and murders him.…
- 404 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays