September 25, 2015 marked the fourth memorial anniversary of Professor Wangari Maathai passing.In 2004, Wangari Maathai became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize after decades of environmental and political activism to conserve forests in Kenya and beyond.

Professor Wangari Maathai was born and raised in rural parts of Kenya.She attained her education leading her to become the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree in the late 1970's  .Through her efforts she founded The Green Belt Movement (GBM)  in 1977 .She was able to    assist communities plant over 51 million trees in Kenya, in watersheds in the highlands of Mt. Kenya, the Aberdares, and the Mau Complex- three of the five major mountain ecosystems in Kenya, as well as on private lands.

Professor Maathai was internationally acknowledged for her struggle for democracy, human rights, and environmental conservation, and served on the board of many organisations. She addressed the UN on a number of occasions and spoke on behalf of women at special sessions of the General Assembly during the five-year review of the Earth Summit. She served on the Commission for Global Governance and the Commission on the Future.

During her 4th Memorial anniversary,last week .Her organizationThe Green Belt Movement (GBM) lead Kenyans on a  people's march to encourage communities to raise their voices on climate change and the natural environment.Approximately 500 community members and partners took place in a walk in Nairobi ,Kenya?s capital city .There were other  various activities to commemorate her anniversary with communities from various regions in Kenya gaining on natural resource management training .

Professor Wangari maathai will be remembered for her leadership , work and achievements as a woman in the fields of environment, human rights and democracy.

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Read more on her Biography :

http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/biography