MAUREEN WAITHAKA
Nairobi, Kenya - Felice News
Published Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 9:00AM EST
Last Updated Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 9:27AM EST

NAIROBI -- Morning breaks in rural Kenya. A woman awakens to a rooster’s crow, she will light a wood fire to cook her family breakfast, fetch water from the river for daily use and get food for her cattle. In years past, these things would have been a dream for this and many rural folk living in Kenya were it not for the efforts of one woman, the late Professor Wangari Maathai.  

Professor Maathai told a story, not too long ago. The story was about a hummingbird that lived in a forest. One day, a huge fire erupts that threatens to consume the entire forest.  All the animals gather to watch as the fire rages on, unable and perhaps unwilling to do anything. But the tiny hummingbird, faced with the extinction of the place he calls home, jumps into action. He starts to collect water in his beak and ferrying into the forest, throws it onto the fire to put out. The other animals, even the large ones like the elephant, begin to mock him, saying that he is too small to singlehandedly put out the fire but he just carries on, flying back and forth between the water and the burning forest saying, “I will do my best!”

The story is simple, but the teller of the story turned out to be one of Kenya’s most inspirational people. A campaigner for the environment, for women’s rights, for democracy and peace, Professor Maathai worked towards a better Kenya and a better world. Her life is exemplified in this simple story. She was the quintessential hummingbird, doing her best to bring positive change. In a country young and unaware of the importance of the environment, she traversed its provinces, preaching environmental conservation and planting trees with the local people. Even the oppressive Kenyan government would not deter her from her efforts. She was arrested on many occasions and suffered physical abuse during her many protests. She was a prophet chastised in her own land. But she overcame all this and her small, frequent mouthfuls of water went a long way to quell the raging inferno for environmental degradation and oppression. Of her many wins was the halting the construction of a skyscraper in Uhuru Park in downtown Nairobi, and stopping the grabbing of public land in Karura Forest, a major forest just north of Nairobi’s city centre. She also helped lead a yearlong vigil with the mothers of political prisoners that resulted in freedom for 51 men held by the government.

She was the founder of the Green Belt Movement which today is credited with planting of 47 million trees worldwide, reviving the damaged environment and improving the lives of many Kenyans living in poverty.

Her campaigns for democracy and the rights of women in Kenya forged a lot of what is now held strong and true.

In 2004, she was recognised for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which many would consider the pinnacle of their work and a fitting conclusion of their life’s work. But Professor Maathai forged on, continuing to work in Africa and the world over, giving speeches, uniting with fellow laureates in an effort to bring peace and equality and serving as ambassador for environmental protection initiatives, until her death in 2011.

Although she in no longer with us, her lessons remain alive in the lives of the people she inspired: women to fight to overcome their situation, citizens to take personal responsibility in conserving the environment and people to live for peace and democracy. We salute you hummingbird.