The Wangari Maathai Foundation

Vision & Accomplishments

The vision of the Wangari Maathai Foundation is a world in which individuals acknowledge their capacity to be a force for positive transformation like Wangari Maathai was. The Foundation seeks to amplify Prof. Maathai’s message by supporting ideas and initiatives that demonstrate that each of us, no matter how small, can make a difference. It also endeavors to nurture a culture of purpose and integrity that inspires courageous leadership.

Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement while serving as a professor of veterinary anatomy at the University of Nairobi. GBM began as a project of the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK), of which she was a member. Rural women had been coming to the NCWK complaining of deteriorating environmental conditions in their regions. The streams were drying up, the harvests were poor, and women had to walk further and further afield in search of firewood. Prof. Maathai saw the solution clearly. Through the Green Belt Movement, she mobilized thousands of women and men to plant, ultimately, tens of millions of trees throughout Kenya. Prof. Maathai’s approach was practical, holistic, and deeply ecological: the tree roots would bind the soil to halt erosion; they would retain groundwater following rains and replenish streams; and, if nurtured and harvested sustainably, the trees would provide food, fodder, and fuel to maintain the livelihoods of communities.

The Hummingbird Program

Imagine a world in which leaders are resilient, not afraid to try and fail, willing to stand up for what they believe in, are creative and practice the art of listening. The Humming Bird Leadership Program aims to inspire a generation of young leaders who recognize the urgency to lead for the common good.

“I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and climate change… But I was wrong…. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy.” ~ Gus Speth

Focused on children between the ages of 6-17, the Humming Bird Leadership Program is designed to spark conversations about the values of courage, integrity, resilience, creativity, responsibility, and the art of listening and how these values are critical to long-term success and living a life of purpose. Together with its partners, Jacaranda Designs and Educare, The Wangari Maathai Foundation has partnered with the Dr. Robert Ouko Primary School in Koru, The Mara Girl s’ Leadership School in Talek, and Children in Freedom School in Nakuru, Kenya.

The first year of the leadership program will cover the following exciting topics:

• Courageous Leadership
• The Art of Listening
• Creativity and Resourcefulness
• Integrity and Honesty
• Serving Others
• Responsible Stewardship
• Accepting/Taking Responsibility
• Resilience

En-Courage Leadership Initiative

The Wangari Maathai Foundation (WMF) Youth Café is a program under the En-Courage Leadership Initiative with the goal of initiating conversations among Kenya’s Youth to learn, first-hand, what values they hold and what challenges they encounter when trying to live by the national values found in the Kenyan Constitution and their personal ones. Youth Cafés are designed to bring youth from a particular county together and spark conversations about to discuss issues that they deal with in their communities. It gives youth a platform for safe, open discussion to reflect and express what they face in their everyday lives.

WMF has hosted four WMF Youth Cafés—Kisumu and 3 in Nairobi. Last year being an election year, youth were keen to discuss politics and leadership. WMF hosted two of WMF Youth Café’s – at the Official Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence held in February 2017 and one at Kibera – that focused on Governance. The forums comprised of students, community leaders between the ages of 20 -35yrs. WMF hosted another Youth Café in Kisumu in May 2017. This session focused on the impact of drug use in Kondele, a low-income housing area in Kisumu. The last Youth Café was held at the Kibera Town Kamukunji Grounds and focused on crime and insecurity in Kibera. WMF will be developing the Wangari Maathai Fellowship Program to inspire young leaders (22-29 years) at the post-University level to be ambassadors of courage and integrity.

Learn more about The Wangari Maathai Foundation