"Trees have been an essential part of my life and have provided me with many lessons. Trees are living symbols of peace and hope. A tree has roots in the soil yet reaches for the sky. It tells us that in order to aspire we need to be grounded, and that no matter how high we go it is from our roots that we draw sustenance."
"Unbowed" is a memoir written by 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. The story is one that reveals her development from a child who loved being with her mother and enjoyed working with plants and soil, to being the first woman to receive a PhD in her home country, to eventually founding the Green Belt Movement and becoming and outspoken leader, teacher, and advocate for the pro democracy movement. What is most apparent about her through this collection of memories is her dedication and persistence in pursuing what she knows to be right. Through the Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai instilled in the common people her own passion for renewing the ecosystem of her depleted homeland through the planting of trees, often times in the face of violent opposition and stints of time spent in jail. Although the story details the overt political oppression that she faced, there is also a general oppression that is the backdrop for her tireless efforts. From the time of colonization from the British up to the present, Maathai's story reveals the oppression of Kenya's land, water, and vegetation, which seems intrinsically tied to the oppression of Kenya's people. Through Maathai's eyes, one can understand the destruction that not caring for the environment, whether out of plain ignorance, for the greed of profit or both, can do to a once beautiful and vibrant country.
Links:
Green Belt Movement
Citation Information:
Maathai, W. (2006). Unbowed: A memoir. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
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