Wangari Maathai

"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world. would do this, it would change the earth"(William Faulkner). Many people are unable to voice their injustices; however, a true hero sees what is needed and voices the change using their education they have achieved in life. Born in 1940, in a small village by the name of Ihithe in the central highlands of Kenya to a fairly poor family, Wangari Maathai was inspired by her parents at a very early age to value education and contribute to the service of her community. A true hero uses their education to help others who are less educated. Being the first woman in Africa to earn a doctorate degree, Wangari Maathai became an advocate for the poor and never let anything, even a hostile and unstable male- dominated government of Kenya, stand in her way; a true hero.

Wangari Maathai used her education to advocate for the poor in her community. Nicola Graydon, in her article "Wangari Maathai: fighting for Kenya's environment" quotes Wangari about her push for early education: "I thank my mother every day for insisting I be educated. I also thank the nuns at the school where I was taught for instilling in me the notion of service to the community" (Wangari Maathai). Her parents encouraged her to value education and placed her in an environment where she would then learn to value the importance of service to others. From an early age, Wangari felt connected to help the suffering of the poor. In a newspaper article about Wangari, she gives internal thought about what educated women should do: "She warned that educated women should avoid becoming an elite, and instead, should do work for the planet" (Newsmakers, May 1, 2005). Wangari warns those who believe themselves "elitist" should share their knowledge for the greater good of the environment, not keep it to themselves. She emphasizes the need to do work for the planet and through that her adventure began with the founding of the Green Belt Movement. Wangari was a leader for the poor in her community because of her education and language knowledge.

Wangari Maathai displayed determination and commitment against great odds to help others and her community. In his article about Wangari's struggles in Kenya, Jone Johnson speaks of Wangari's obstacles she faced, while working to develop her movement: "In 1991, Wangari Maathai was arrested and imprisoned; an Amnesty International letter-writing campaign helped free her. In 1999 she suffered head injuries when attacked while planting trees in the Karura Public Forest in Nairobi, part of the protest against continuing deforestation" (Jone Johnson Lewis). The simple peaceful task of planting a tree caused angst and discomfort among the government. Wangari was attacked for a small task, which fueled her fire, and encouraged her to continue her rebellion. When being interviewed by a talk show host later that year, Wangari describes difficulties she had experienced with the Kenyan government: "But when you have bad governance, of course, these resources are destroyed: The forests are deforested, there is illegal logging, and there is soil erosion. I got pulled deeper and deeper and saw how these issues become linked to governance, to corruption, to dictatorship"(Wangari Maathai). Wangari explains how a bad government can destroy an entire ecosystem. Therefore, she acted and established her movement for the better of her community. Wangari displays, as well as emphasizes the need for an unwavering determination and a strong sense of commitment.

Wangari Maathai serves as tribute for the well-being of her community, though she was faced with several obstacles, she had the determination and strength to overcome each one. Through self-sacrifice and honest willpower, Wangari proves that she has the commitment of a true hero. With her work founding the Green Belt Movement, and her "never say never" attitude, she has impacted her environment for the better of the people. Wangari Maathai demonstrates true heroism, by thinking not of herself, but by teaching us that the education and knowledge accumulated overtime should be used for the better of the community, as well as for the better of the people. Wangari proves herself an inspiration and a positive role model for women of all stature. "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles" (Christopher Reeve).