I want to do the right things - I want to plant trees, I want to make sure that the indigenous forests are protected because I know, whatever happens, these are the forests that contain biodiversity, these are the forests that help us retain water when it rains and keep our rivers flowing, these are the forests that many future generations will need.
Wangari MaathaiYou cannot enslave a mind that knows itself. That values itself. That understands itself.
Wangari MaathaiI was particularly talking with respect to aid, because that to me is one area that can make people so dependent, and unfortunately, that dependency starts with the government.
Wangari MaathaiUntil you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven't done a thing. You are just talking.
Wangari MaathaiOnce people see that you improve you life if you are educated, then education becomes a valuable tool and people want it.
Wangari MaathaiWhen I went back home, I was constantly being reminded, I'm an African woman, and so there are certain things I shouldn't do, certain ambitions that I should not entertain. That was a problem for me because I had never thought of myself as an African woman, never thought of myself as a woman to begin with. For me the limit was my capacity, my capability.
Wangari Maathai