1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and I welcome to Stuff Mom 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: Never Told your production of I Heart Radio's House Stuff Parts. 3 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: It is the first female first. We are joined once 4 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: again by our good friend and co worker, eavese Hi. 5 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for being here, Thank you for having 6 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: me again. We just had a rousing discussion about aliens 7 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: and how they should look, resolutions, running um and disliking running, 8 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: and then a little bit of our kind of disastrous mornings. 9 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: Even I had a bit of a mishaps. We made 10 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: it through them, which is an important part. We did. 11 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: We did. You're here to tell the tale that actually 12 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: is probably a very important part to a lot of 13 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: these female first we talked about. Yeah, you're right, because 14 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: they do get pretty intense in some parts, Like they 15 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: went through a lot, they struggled a lot, and they 16 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: fought a lot, but you know they did a lot 17 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: of good things too. Yes, and the one, the person 18 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: you brought for us today, she did so much and 19 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: very important to the discussions we're having now around the 20 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: environment and sustainability things that are on a lot of 21 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: people's minds. As it should be. Yeah, that's exactly what 22 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: I was thinking. I was like, I feel like it's 23 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: really good to be able to talk about today. We're 24 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: going to be talking about wen Gary move to Mattai 25 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: UM and she did a lot of stuff that had 26 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: to do with environmental activism, and that is clearly something 27 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: that we're talking about right now today. And I didn't 28 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: choose say, oh, let me find somebody who's doing something 29 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: that has to do with the environment. It just kind 30 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: of came like, Oh, she's someone who is, you know, 31 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: first of all from the African continent, which I feel 32 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: like maybe we've maybe we've discussed somebody from the African 33 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: continent so far, I can't remember, but yeah, like that 34 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: was really important to me. And also the actual work 35 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: that she's doing is so relevant into what we're talking about, 36 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: and it's also very recent and also had a very 37 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: global impact. UM. And she knows what she's talking about, 38 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: she knows what she's doing, and she's also left a 39 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: great legacy behind her that just kind of touched people 40 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: of all different cultures and people of all different nationalities, 41 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: which I think is a really cool thing. Yeah, when 42 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: I was reading her her story, I we always stress 43 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: the importance of context and these stories that we um 44 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: that you bring to us UM and it's it is recent, 45 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: and it's kind of shocking how much she did and 46 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: how much things have changed just through the sixties and seventies, 47 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: kind of just this tumultuous cauldron of all these things happening. 48 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: And it's also just, you know, very indicative of the 49 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: actual issues that people were going through in Kenya and 50 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: on the African continent at the time, because obviously environmental 51 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: issues are global issues, but they're also very specific to 52 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: the locales and the climates in which all the activists 53 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: separately reside. Um They're all different but also related in 54 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: some way, and I think her perspective and how she 55 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: kind of got into her activism and her work is 56 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: indicative of that. But I feel like I'm getting ahead 57 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: of myself right now. Yeah, let's go. I'm just like, 58 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: oh my god, she's amazing and I have who she 59 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: really is. So yeah. But I was the first African 60 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: woman to win the Nobel Prize, and she was the 61 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: first woman to become an assistant professor at the University 62 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: of Nairobi. She was the first woman to head a 63 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: university department in Kenya and the first woman in Eastern 64 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: and Central Africa to earn a PhD. So a lot 65 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: of First, that's what we're here for, right, that's right. 66 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: So she was born on April first, nineteen forty and Neary, Kenya, 67 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: and she was the daughter of kiku You subsistence farmers. 68 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: The kiku You are an ethnic group in Kenya. She 69 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: had five siblings and she was raised in an area 70 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: of Kenya that was known as the White Highlands, which 71 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: was so called because there was policy that certain agricultural 72 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: lands in Kenya should be reserved for Europeans. So her 73 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: older brother convinced their parents that she go to school 74 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: rather than focus on household responsibilities, which you could imagine 75 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: were plentiful because she had so many siblings um rather 76 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: big family to take care of. She went to the 77 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 1: Tea Primary School, the St. Cecilia School and then the 78 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: Laredo Lemuro Girls School. So after completing school there, she 79 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: got a scholarship. And that's because the Kennedy administration in 80 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: the US at the time was funding initiatives for people 81 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: in Eastern Africa and then Kenya specifically to study in 82 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: the US, and so that's how she got a scholarship 83 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: to study at university in the US, so where she 84 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: ended up going was Mount Saint Scholastica College in Kansas, 85 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: and she stayed in US to study at university for 86 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 1: a bit. She graduated with her bachelor's in biology in 87 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty four, and then she stayed in the US. 88 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 1: She got her masters from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. 89 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: And then so by this time when she returned to 90 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: Kenya after she graduated, the whole Eastern colonialism processes and 91 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: then Kenya had gained its independence and when she went 92 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: back there was she had a research assistant position that 93 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: had been promised to her. So she was recruited to 94 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: be a research assistant in zoology and that was at 95 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: the University of Narrobi, and she found out when she 96 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: got to the campus that she had been denied the position, 97 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: and she thought that that was because of gender discrimination. 98 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: So after that she got another research assistant position and 99 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: this time it was in the department of Veterinary Anatomy. 100 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: So she started she continued working. She was not discouraged 101 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: by that, so she started pursuing her doctoral studies in Germany. 102 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: She got her PhD from the University of Nairobi. So 103 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: she was the first woman to get a doctorate degree 104 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: in Eastern Central Africa. Wow, that's pretty I can't even 105 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 1: imagine writing the first person or a woman anything. Yeah, 106 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: that level of achievement, at that level of achievement. Yeah yeah, 107 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: my first surb not not on that same plane. Right, 108 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: that's cool, though he didn't lead a pathway for other women, 109 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: not that I know of accomplished such a thing, not 110 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: that I know of. I mean, just like I wonder 111 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 1: the reporting on it or they're like, wow, look, this 112 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: woman has become the first to do this, and all 113 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: the negativity possibly probably, but as we know from I 114 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: feel like previous people and just in general how these 115 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: things work, a lot of those first aren't recognized in 116 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: a contemporary manner. It's just like the person is doing 117 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: a thing, and then we go back and look at them, 118 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: sometimes posthumously, you know, way back in the day. Um, 119 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: but we start to realize, Okay, you know this, this happened, 120 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: and this is part of a long story and a 121 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: long lineage of people and things that they did, so 122 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: we kind of situate the first within that history after 123 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: a lot of the time. Right, that's true. That's a 124 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: good point. As far as her personal life, she married 125 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: an Ruby businessman, who kind of had aspirations in politics, 126 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: and she married him in nineteen sixty nine. She met 127 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: him a few years before her and eventually they had 128 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: three kids together, and he ran for parliament in the 129 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: early nineteen seventies. His first campaign was unsuccessful, even though 130 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: she helped him with that, and then later in their 131 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: story in the early nineteen eighties, they went through this 132 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: whole divorce suit and he accused her of adultery, and 133 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: it's also said that he thought that she was too 134 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: educated and too strong willed and minded and too hard 135 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: to control, and that was part of the reason that 136 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: they got a divorce. But it was a pretty contentious situation. 137 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: Um she ended up going to court, she lost the case, 138 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 1: they ended up being divorced. She was even jailed for 139 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: a short time about three days afterward, because she accused 140 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: the judge of being incompetent whoa And this is also 141 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: when his last name was spelled with one a m 142 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: a um t h a I And she changed her 143 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: name to have two a's because of the whole sitch 144 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: reuation requested that. Yeah, so it was that was you know, 145 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: later in life, after years of them having been together, 146 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: they separated before they divorced, but yeah, that was part 147 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: of their story. Yeah, So in nineteen seventy three, and 148 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: this is where we get to all of the things. 149 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,959 Speaker 1: Obviously we're not going to have room to like talk 150 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,319 Speaker 1: about every single thing that she did because she did 151 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,839 Speaker 1: so many different things. Um, but in nineteen seventy three 152 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: she became the director of Nairobi's branch of the National 153 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 1: Red Cross. So we see her already in the late 154 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 1: sixties early seventies getting into all of her activism, all 155 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: of her environmental work, and realizing through her research and 156 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: just her personal life like observation. The thing I really 157 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: love about her story is like how often we think 158 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: of how we think of academics in terms of the 159 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: work that they do, Like they did all this study 160 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: at these universities, and this is their education, is what 161 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: influenced them and what made them be able to address 162 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: issues in a certain way. But observation is also a 163 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: very important thing in our lives that can drive us 164 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: to do better things because and I think her story 165 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: is just a great example of that. Like she talks 166 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: about how much in during her childhood and during her life, 167 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 1: how she was just noticing what was happening around her 168 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: how she was listening to village women tell her what 169 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: they needed, and that observation is a big part of 170 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: what drove her to do her environmental work. Realizing that 171 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: she could connect the things that are actually happening around 172 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: her and the work that she's interested in doing, and 173 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: the skills that she does have and the education that 174 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: she is getting and combining the two, well, those several 175 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: things together to really create a huge impact. So I 176 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: really like that about her story. Um. Yeah, So she 177 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: started moving up in her roles at the university. She 178 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: became a senior lecturer in the nineteen seventies, and she 179 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: became the chair of her department, and then she became 180 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: an assistant professor in nineteen seventy seven. And so her 181 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 1: postdoctoral research made her, as I was saying, aware of 182 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: all the things that was happening in her country, especially 183 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: in the rural areas, and all the issues that people 184 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: were facing, whether that had to do with the environment 185 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: or like personal issues. And we'll we'll get into some 186 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: of the things that specifically that drove her research that 187 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: was happening in king at the time. And so later 188 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 1: her husband campaign for a seat in parliament again in 189 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: one of this is before they divorced. One thing that 190 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: he advocated for was finding jobs for the unemployed, and 191 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: so with that spirit, that energy that was happening, Mattai 192 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: connected that need to her environmental efforts and then she 193 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,559 Speaker 1: started this business called envirol Care where she was getting 194 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: people to plant trees. That business wasn't that successful, but 195 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: those efforts did lead her to you know, more successful efforts, 196 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: and the connections that she already had with all these 197 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: people through the work that she was doing led to 198 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: her getting the National Council of Women of Kenya to 199 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,719 Speaker 1: help her launch a tree planting project called Save the 200 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,439 Speaker 1: Land her on Bay and her Bay is the Swahili 201 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: word that means all pull together, and that eventually turned 202 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: into the green Belt movement, which is one of her, 203 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: you know, the most well known initiatives. Even though she 204 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: did a time right, yeah, time, but that's that's a 205 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: huge organization. She was active in the National Council of 206 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 1: Women of Kenya for a really long time from around 207 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:37,319 Speaker 1: nine eight seven. While she was serving with them, she 208 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: started introducing this idea of community based tree planting that 209 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 1: she had already introduced through her other work. Much of 210 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: the population in Africa dependent on what for fuel, but 211 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: at the time there was a lot of deforestation happening, 212 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: so as their still is um, but trees were depleted 213 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: because they were being raised and they weren't being replaced 214 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: at the same rate UM. So obviously that leads to 215 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: a lot of different issues, including nutritional deficiencies, poverty because 216 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 1: there would be they had to walk a long way 217 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: to get water to be able to get the fuel. Um, 218 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: there is desert where there once with trees. The deforestation 219 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: also caused soil runoff and water pollution, which is obviously 220 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: important to a person being able to sustain themselves in 221 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 1: terms of the food that they eat. And speaking of 222 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: sustaining themselves, a lot of the children also had to 223 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 1: start being fit with processed foods because of this, and 224 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: livestock didn't have vegetation to eat. And on top of 225 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: all that, under the colonial period, like British governors, they 226 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: were planting non native trees instead of indigenous trees. So 227 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: it just had all these effects on the way that 228 00:13:56,280 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: people lived, in their ability to live whole and fruitful lives. 229 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: So she started getting into all that and realizing how 230 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 1: that affected people and specifically women, and she opened an 231 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: agency that paid impoverished people to plant trees and shrubs, 232 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: and so she decided to campaign for a seat in 233 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: parliament that would become open and neary in Nino, and 234 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: to do this, she had to resign from the University 235 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: of Narrobi. That was one condition that she she couldn't 236 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: be there to be able to run, and so the 237 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: electoral authorities said that she couldn't run. She was disqualified 238 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: for running because she hadn't registered to vote, so because 239 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: of that registration in the last presidential election, because that 240 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: registration technicality, they kind of pulled her out of that situation, 241 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: and she obviously took issue with that decision, but she 242 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: needed up, you know, being disqualified anyway, and wanted to 243 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: go back to the university because obviously she needs a 244 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: job u UM and they refused to rehire her or 245 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: restore her benefits, and they evicted her from university housing 246 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: since she was no longer there anymore. Oh man, m 247 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: that's time time. So that's definitely one thread in her story, 248 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: which is there were she had a lot of opposition, 249 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: so she did have a lot of supporters and also 250 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: supported a lot of people through employment and just like 251 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: you know, personal support, but she had a lot of 252 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: people who opposed the work that she was doing because 253 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: she was so pro democracy, the things that she was 254 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: talking about, the things that she was standing up against, 255 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: and was viewed as kind of anti government and in 256 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: that respect, a lot of the press that she got 257 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: in that the Green Belt movement got in the media 258 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: that was negative and because of that a lot of 259 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: people were discouraged from wanting to be associated with the 260 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: movement because of its you know, reputation. But it was 261 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 1: still a successful movement, which we'll get into too. So 262 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: she poured her energy into that Green Belt movement UM 263 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: and its main focus was poverty reduction and environmental conservation 264 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: and focusing on this singular this goal of planting trees, 265 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: and its goal was to plant trees all across Kenyon 266 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: to fight erosion and to create firewood for the fuel 267 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: for people there, and to create jobs for women because 268 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: women were really instrumental and being the people who planted 269 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: the trees. And so over the years they planted tens 270 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: of millions of trees in Africa. Yes, they did this 271 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: by establishing tons of nurseries that offered free links to people. 272 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 1: UM and then the communities would plant them and very 273 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: small amount of small payment was given for every tree 274 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: that was planted, but they had to make sure that 275 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: they took care of the tree for three months. That 276 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: was part of the deal. And even though it's a 277 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: small amount, that could make a big difference in someone's life. 278 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: Um for many of those women who were subsistence farmers 279 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: that didn't have extra food to give for our to sail, 280 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: not give that money was some of their only income. 281 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: Well man, tens of millions. I was able to help 282 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: that many in different ways. That's amazing. Yeah, it is, Yeah, 283 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: and I think that would be really cool. I know 284 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:44,160 Speaker 1: we'll probably get to this later, but there's an interview 285 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: um that when Gary did with um on on Being 286 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,679 Speaker 1: and she described the power of seeing a tree that 287 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: you've planted, like years and years later just know that 288 00:17:56,119 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: you did that, and it's yeah, yeah, the the this 289 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: tree kind of became the tree itself through all the 290 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: work that she did, kind of became this movement of 291 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,919 Speaker 1: like democracy, of like the legacy of so many things 292 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: through the work that she did. So, yeah, that's a 293 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: really good point. And all the work through the green 294 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,920 Speaker 1: belt movement also helped conserve the soil and the ecology 295 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: of the land and obviously gave thousands of people opportunities 296 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 1: for employment, and she worked over time, this became more 297 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: than just about trees. Obviously it was that from the beginning, 298 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: but they also started to provide other services besides tree planting. 299 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 1: So she worked with the National Council of Women of 300 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: Kenya to give services like family planning, like nutrition, food security, 301 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: HIV awareness, and leadership skills. So it became this environmental 302 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: and civic educational program for people, and that ended up 303 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: spreading its ten drils throughout a bunch of countries in 304 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: Africa and throughout the world as well, and eventually it 305 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: formerly separated from the National Council of Women of Kenya 306 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 1: and she even though Mattai was already so involved in politics, 307 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: she became more involved in politics over time and protests 308 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: and activism. And in the nineteen eighty nine she protested 309 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: the construction of a huge office tower in Uhuru Park 310 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 1: in Nairobi. So she started sending out a bunch of 311 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: letters to all of these people, different government officials, different 312 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: organizations and Kenya to protest, like just putting the pressure 313 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: on people to protest this office tower being built. It 314 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: was a whole complex thing, and she claimed that the 315 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: building was expensive and that money should instead be spent 316 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 1: on other things because this is going to be a 317 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: tens of millions of dollar project like poverty, hunger, and education. 318 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: And obviously this project had a bunch of foreign investors. 319 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: And through all of of the protesting that happened, even 320 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: though she was getting a lot of black impress once 321 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 1: again for her protest and for not being quiet, complacent 322 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: and all those things that you know, a woman what's 323 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: supposed to be, she still managed to like that that 324 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: whole protests managed to be successful and investors ended up 325 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: pulling out of the whole situation not long after her 326 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: protesting began, and the skyscraper wasn't built, So that was 327 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: one thing of the many things that she protested against. 328 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,719 Speaker 1: And she also opposed the one party state that there 329 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: was in Kenya at the time. So Matta was also 330 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,680 Speaker 1: involved in the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy, which 331 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 1: was a group that opposed, among other things, This group 332 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,439 Speaker 1: kind of branched off had groups in different countries, but 333 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:58,439 Speaker 1: and Kenya, it was opposed to the leadership of the 334 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,719 Speaker 1: President Daniel are up More and her opposition earned her 335 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 1: the ire of the president, not just through her work 336 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: with the forum, but also all the other things that 337 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: she was doing. So going back to that project with 338 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: the Office tower, he was really against her speaking up 339 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: about that too and had a lot of nasty things 340 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: to say about her for her vocalizations on that issue, 341 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 1: and she faced many risks, beatings, and dealings because of 342 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: the work that she was doing. She advocated for the 343 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 1: release of political prisoners, and in she wanted to hunger 344 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 1: strike with the group of mothers of political prisoners, and 345 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: that ended up being successful, even though she and a 346 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: lot of other people who were involved in the strike. 347 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 1: We're beaten by police during the protest, but at the 348 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: end of that strike, the government did released the majority 349 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: of the political prisoners. We have a lot more of 350 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 1: our discussion with ease, but first we have a quick 351 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: break for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. 352 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor. Let's get back into it. She was 353 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 1: also arrested for more of her protests and later charged 354 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: with spreading rumors that the president was planning to turr 355 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,400 Speaker 1: and government power over to the military, and so while 356 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: she was in jail waiting on her charge, she was 357 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 1: refused medical treatment. So it's just like it's there was 358 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: a lot of like fighting happening there. Like there was 359 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: a lot of conflict and a lot of this kind 360 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: of fabrication of like issues when it came to the 361 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: work that she was doing, because she was so vocal 362 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 1: and because she was so active um in her environmental causes. 363 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: She said it that she was running for parliament and 364 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: for the presidency as part of the Liberal Party of Kenya, 365 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: and as part of her campaign, she was continuing to 366 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: say the same things, be about be about what she 367 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,879 Speaker 1: had always been about, basically now seeing the corruption in 368 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: the government and imagining a society where people really embraced 369 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 1: their cultural with spiritual background um as they participated in government. 370 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 1: But her candidacy was withdrawn by the party without notifying 371 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: her until days before the election. That said, she didn't 372 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: announce her campaign until not long before the election itself, 373 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: but she ended up not getting that parliamentcy. Wow, they 374 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:55,160 Speaker 1: didn't tell her. Just like people are afraid of strong women. 375 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: This is true power. And obviously the opposition they had 376 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: to do everything they could to try to undermine her. Yeah, 377 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 1: she was determined. Another thing that she did as part 378 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: of all her work was working on the Jubilee two 379 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: thousand campaign, which was this global campaign UM. But in 380 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 1: her case when she became the co chair of the 381 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: campaign in Kenya, which she did in UM specifically focusing 382 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 1: on the countries in Africa, but the whole campaign was 383 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: aiming to cancel foreign debt for poor countries by the 384 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 1: year two thousand, which is where the number two thousand 385 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 1: comes from and the name of the campaign. Yeah, so 386 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: she wasn't There were a lot of people who were 387 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 1: against her, including you know moy and all a bunch 388 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 1: of other government officials and just people in general UM 389 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: who didn't like how she was challenging government and how 390 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 1: she was speaking up for all these pro democracy positions 391 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,919 Speaker 1: and all these activities as she had going on in 392 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: relation to that. Just some examples. She was hospitalized for 393 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: a head wound and a concussion that she suffered during 394 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: uh government arranged attacks. So she was working on this 395 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: project where she and some supporters were planting trees in 396 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 1: the Corea forest which is in Nairobi, and she was 397 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: protesting against the clearing of the forest for a private development. UM. 398 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: That's one thing that happened to her. At another point 399 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: they forced the Great Belt Movement to mood from its 400 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: office UM in a government owned building to her home. UM. 401 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 1: She when she formed the Tribal Classes Resettlement Volunteer Service 402 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 1: in n to help victims of state sectioned political violence 403 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,360 Speaker 1: in the Red Valley, the government accused her of inciting 404 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: violence and tried to shut down her organizations meetings by 405 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: sending and police to disrupt things. Yeah. So those are 406 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 1: just some of the things that she was up against. Um, 407 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 1: the list could go on, but we won't do that. Yeah, 408 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: it sounds like quite a lot. And she definitely put 409 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: her She was somebody who put her body on the line. 410 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: Say she was a powerhouse and everything her obviously in 411 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: her work and her ethic and and just in her beliefs. 412 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 1: She was unmovable. The plant like a tree. Yes, oh 413 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: look at that. Actually don't work together. Civil There we go, 414 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:36,880 Speaker 1: we got that, America. Yeah, I'm actually surprised there haven't 415 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: been more tree puns. But I'm glad it's not appropriate. 416 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: You're saving them for the age, is what you're really doing. 417 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 1: And they're all in my keeping them to myself for once. 418 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: You're writing it though, for later writing them down. So 419 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: one of her biggest opponents, Boy left office in two 420 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: thousand two, and that same year her she ran for 421 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: parliament and was elected with a large majority of the vote. Um. 422 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: The president ended up appointing her the Minister for Environment, 423 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: Natural Resources in Wildlife and she served the government and 424 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:17,200 Speaker 1: in parliament until two thousand five. And this is um 425 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: we're getting into the later years of her life at 426 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: this point, and she was recognized for a lot of 427 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: her work. She got a lot of honorary degrees and awards, 428 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: like too many to mention here, um, but a ton 429 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 1: of them. But one of the big ones was the 430 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,680 Speaker 1: Nobel Peace Prize, which she got in two thousand four, 431 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: and she was the first African woman to get the 432 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: Nobel Peace Prize and she got it for her contribution 433 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: to sustainable development, democracy and peace. So that's that's one 434 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 1: of the awards that she got. And in her acceptance speech, 435 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: which UM it's really interesting, she noted how she was 436 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: influenced by the things that you know, as we were 437 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 1: talking about earlier, she observed when she was a child 438 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: in Kenya, Um she saw forest being cleared and replaced 439 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: by commercial plantations, and she saw a local bio diversity 440 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 1: being destroyed. And she also said that when she started 441 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:20,239 Speaker 1: the green Belt movement, she was really responding to the 442 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 1: needs that rural women were saying that they had, which 443 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 1: were specifically the lack of firewood, clean drinking water, balanced diets, shelter, 444 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:33,960 Speaker 1: and income. And she also called out to the fact 445 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: which is how integral women were in the development of 446 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: the work that she wanted to do with the green 447 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: Belt movement and the work that she ended up doing 448 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: with the movement, and that be saying that because they 449 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: were primary caretakers throughout Africa, they was responsible for taking 450 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: care of the land and for taking care of the family, 451 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:58,960 Speaker 1: that they were often the first ones to become aware 452 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: of any environ mental damage that was happening, even if 453 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 1: they didn't recognize how one thing was necessarily affecting the 454 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: other in their personal experience, right, Yeah, and she got yeah. 455 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: So some of the other awards that she got were 456 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: the Goldman Environmental Prize, the French Legion of Honor, Japan's 457 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising sun Um 458 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: like I said, more honorary degrees. She also authored several books. 459 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: One of them was a memoir that was called Unbowed, 460 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: and another book called The Challenge for Africa and other writings. 461 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 1: She was named a u N Messenger of Peace in 462 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 1: two thousand nine, and the next year, in partnership with 463 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: the University of Narobi, she found at the Wangari Mattai 464 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies. And yeah, so she 465 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: just continued help not only doing her own work and 466 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: her organization when it came to environmental causes, but also 467 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: participating in like teaching other people about those things and 468 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: making sure that other people learned about environmental issues when 469 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 1: it came to academics, but just general you know, environmental 470 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 1: education for people. Um, so you know, spreading all of 471 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: that knowledge around the world. And in two thousand eleven 472 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and she ended up 473 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: dying that year from complications of the cancer. Yeah, but 474 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 1: her legacy that was what you know, only so long ago, 475 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: but you know, her legacy is clearly still a parent 476 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: in the world and a parent in Kenya, and she's 477 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: well remembered and fortunately was able to be recognized during 478 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: her lifetime. Yeah. And I think one of my favorite 479 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 1: things about her and the things that she did is 480 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: there is this awareness of taking care of the future 481 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: of looking out for future generations. That she started all 482 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: of these things and spread her knowledge to make sure 483 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 1: that things would continue once she was no longer around. 484 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:10,959 Speaker 1: And I actually think that's one of the biggest problems 485 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 1: with humanity is and when it comes to sustainability, is 486 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: we're really bad about doing that. We're really bad about 487 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: thinking about future generations because right now this is the 488 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: easy thing to do, to continue as we are. But 489 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: she made sure that she's left behind these things so 490 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 1: that hopefully we could continue the work that she was doing. 491 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: Right Yeah, it seems her whole ideas were an idea 492 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: of the big picture. She didn't see as a one 493 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: little thing. It was we're planting trees. As we're planting trees, 494 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: but with these things in mind, whether it's to provide 495 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: economic stability for a group of women, a group of 496 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: people who need that assistance right now, but we'll do 497 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 1: it through this avenue. She had this very thoughtful consciousness 498 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: of how to get things done in a multifacet way, 499 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: which is phenomenal, especially when you think of how little 500 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 1: that happens today. There's no real conversation of what can 501 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:14,600 Speaker 1: we do and put it together as a blanket, not 502 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: necessarily a blanket, but at least an overhaul of the 503 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:20,120 Speaker 1: whole system. And that's what she did, which all on 504 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 1: her own, which is phenomenal, especially with all of the 505 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 1: pushback and seeing okay, you go, you aren't seeing the 506 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 1: bigger picture. You're just angry because I'm making a difference 507 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 1: and it could be taken away from you, whether it's 508 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 1: money or your fame or your credibility. But this is 509 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: what it has to be done. That's phenomenal. It's a 510 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: whole different level of thoughtfulness and a whole different level 511 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 1: of understanding the need for sustainability and the need to 512 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 1: for growth and the need to continue beyond. Yeah. And 513 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: I think that to the interesting point about what she 514 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 1: said of her being having this kind of multi facinating 515 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: way in which she worked is that her vision was 516 00:32:54,000 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: also very singular, um and focused and like she was 517 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:02,960 Speaker 1: like I have a goal, Um, I know how I 518 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: can get the thing done, and we're gonna get it done, 519 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 1: and we're going to get it done together. And just 520 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: the way in which she empowered so many people, not 521 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 1: in not from a position of like I have the things, 522 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: and I have the knowledge and I have the education. 523 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: I was fortunate enough to go to you know, us 524 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: to study, you know, under this scholarship that was funded 525 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:24,840 Speaker 1: by the government or anything like that. It was just 526 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: kind of like, I'm not giving these people these things, 527 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 1: these opportunities because I'm able to do that because she isn't. 528 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:35,200 Speaker 1: She is using her position of power obviously, but it 529 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: was in such a way that was community lad you know, 530 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 1: it was in such a way that was about the 531 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 1: way that people work together, and just it being so 532 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 1: inspiring the fact that she realized how important it was 533 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: to incorporate all these other things when it came to 534 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:54,280 Speaker 1: the leadership development and stuff like that, where this wasn't 535 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: just about a person here they are getting this many 536 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 1: Kenyan sinse to you know, grow a tree. It was 537 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:08,040 Speaker 1: about growing trees and creating a better environment and creating 538 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 1: a better world, and within that, creating better communities that 539 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 1: were able to thrive and not just survive, and that 540 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:20,720 Speaker 1: were connected and that were you know, uh, future focus, 541 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: but also present focus, where in a way they were like, 542 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,839 Speaker 1: this is my community that I have now, and I'm 543 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 1: working together with them to really in this embodied way 544 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: where my hands are on the soil and I'm really 545 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:35,480 Speaker 1: contributing to the future of my community. But also I'm 546 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 1: thinking about our children that are here right now. What 547 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 1: kind of food am I feeding them? What do our 548 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 1: traditional diets look like? But also their future, like what 549 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: will the land look like to them? Will they be 550 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 1: able to respect their land? The children are learning to 551 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:52,759 Speaker 1: respect the land at the same time. Um, it's I 552 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 1: just think, Yeah, everything that she was doing was so important, 553 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 1: but um, just so struck by how many different things 554 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:06,920 Speaker 1: but still how tight like her vision was right, and 555 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 1: that's it was very cohesive, very cohesive. Yeah, and that's 556 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:16,719 Speaker 1: an amazing balancing act to pull up of. Yeah, we 557 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 1: need to think about the future generations, but we also 558 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:20,279 Speaker 1: have to think about the president. Like to be able 559 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: to do both, I mean, that's amazing. Yeah. And I 560 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 1: also really find so many of these women you bring 561 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:35,880 Speaker 1: to us, Eaves, I find it so impressive that we 562 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: know as women, at least I can speak from my 563 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,719 Speaker 1: own I always have all these doubts. I have all 564 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,480 Speaker 1: these doubts, and a lot of times it keeps me 565 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: from even putting myself forward for things. And that's we know, 566 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: that's why a lot of women don't run for office. 567 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,439 Speaker 1: And it's not to say that the women you've brought 568 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 1: to us don't have doubts, but they just were like, 569 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: somebody needs to do this. I can do it. I'm 570 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: going to step up. Well. I mean, you and I 571 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: have talked about the times that we get criticisms, and 572 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 1: that kind of sometimes shust me down. I can't imagine 573 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: the level of lies and criticisms that were thrown at 574 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 1: her purposely by the most powerful man in that country, 575 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 1: in that nation at that point. I mean I could not. 576 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:17,360 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know how it would fathom 577 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: or even feel under pressure, but to continue forth and 578 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,960 Speaker 1: still keep fighting and still keep fighting, still being told 579 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:26,360 Speaker 1: you know, you are whatever damaging by those who have 580 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 1: the loudest voices, but knowing that she can make a 581 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 1: difference than what she's doing is like, right, it's amazing, 582 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 1: and it's to look back on it now you're like, oh, wow, 583 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:37,439 Speaker 1: that's encouraging. But to be in the middle of that, 584 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's kind of like, oh, the fear 585 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 1: of failing is already there. But being told you're ruining 586 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 1: something or you're being your disaster to something, what a 587 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,920 Speaker 1: way to have to fight against that? How do you 588 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:53,759 Speaker 1: do that? And how was she able to do that, 589 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: and she did though, and finally got what she deserved 590 00:36:56,719 --> 00:37:00,279 Speaker 1: all the accolades as she did earn. But man, that 591 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:04,280 Speaker 1: road to get there it had to be a long, long, 592 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:11,359 Speaker 1: very loud. Yeah. Um, it's impressive and inspiring in a 593 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:15,160 Speaker 1: good way to start the year. The female first. Um, 594 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 1: is there anything else you want to have you? I 595 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:22,080 Speaker 1: don't think so. I would highly recommend the interview on 596 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:26,879 Speaker 1: on being is very beautiful. Yeah, and just anything where 597 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:32,680 Speaker 1: she's speaking, yes, highly recommend if you're looking for some 598 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:37,719 Speaker 1: some inspiration and like a newfound appreciation of trees. Oh 599 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:41,120 Speaker 1: my gosh, right, we are also in a city of trees, 600 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 1: so we are. It's a big if speaking of things 601 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,719 Speaker 1: being topical. Uh. That is a topic of conversation in 602 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:50,480 Speaker 1: Atlanta where we are right now, which is that we've 603 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:54,799 Speaker 1: historically been called the city of like the city in 604 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: the forest, and we are known for having a ton 605 00:37:57,239 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: of trees, which we're not the biggest metropolis in the 606 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,360 Speaker 1: United States and definitely not in the world, but for 607 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,799 Speaker 1: being a city of our solize and stature. We like 608 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,719 Speaker 1: have a lot of forest and a lot of tree 609 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:12,959 Speaker 1: canopy here, but a lot of that is also being 610 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:18,240 Speaker 1: raised for private development and gentrification, which are huge things 611 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:22,279 Speaker 1: that are happening right now in Atlanta. So on a 612 00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 1: micro level, from this macro conversation we're having, all of 613 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:28,920 Speaker 1: her work is very relevant to things that are happening 614 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 1: here in metro Atlanta. Absolutely, that's one of my favorite 615 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:38,959 Speaker 1: parts about Atlanta. So we will continue to see where 616 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: that goes. We have some more to talk about, but 617 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:46,400 Speaker 1: first we have one more quick break for word from 618 00:38:46,400 --> 00:39:04,000 Speaker 1: our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you sponsor. But in 619 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 1: the meantime, thank you so much Eaves for for coming 620 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:10,439 Speaker 1: on as always, thank you for having me. Where can 621 00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:14,320 Speaker 1: the listeners find you on social media? On that is 622 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 1: on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Um, I'm on this same 623 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 1: History Class, which is a different podcast that one was 624 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:26,400 Speaker 1: about Days in History. Um, you can also find me 625 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:31,800 Speaker 1: at Unpopular on all those same social media platforms. H Yeah, 626 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:35,480 Speaker 1: our Eaves, Jeff Goo is my name, and do whatever 627 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:44,200 Speaker 1: you want to do with that information kind things good point, yes, 628 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:47,680 Speaker 1: but yeah, listeners, you should definitely go check both of 629 00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 1: those out there. Amazing and if you would like to 630 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:56,240 Speaker 1: contact us you can. Yes. Um, our email is stuff 631 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: Media Mom Stuff at iHeart media dot com. You can 632 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:01,080 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter at mom Stuff Podcast or on 633 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:04,000 Speaker 1: Instagram at Stuff I've Never Told You. Thanks as always 634 00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:08,000 Speaker 1: to our super producer Andrew Howard, and thanks to you 635 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:10,520 Speaker 1: for listening Stuff I've Never Told You. The production of 636 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:13,000 Speaker 1: I Higher Radios How Stuff works for more podcasts from 637 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,240 Speaker 1: Higher Radio is a Dot Higher Radio app, Apple podcast, 638 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:16,960 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows