For me, one of the major reasons to move beyond just the planting of trees was that I have tendency to look at the causes of a problem. We often preoccupy ourselves with the symptoms, whereas if we went to… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
It's very important to remain optimistic and to see the silver lining in everything you do. Because no matter how sometimes things look difficult, and look like there is no hope, there is always a small glimmering of silver lining… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk! — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
What I am trying to say is that they need to learn to rely on themselves and to learn from other people, and when… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
As long as there is no trust and confidence that there will be justice and fairness in resource distribution, political positioning will remain more… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
If Africa is left behind, she is going to continue pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, especially carbon. She's going to continue logging the… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
That's the way I do things when I want to celebrate, I always plant a tree. — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
I think that for anybody who has worked in the civil society, government bureaucracy moves very very slowly. — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
I have seen a lot of men, for example, who will make a will and include their daughters whether they are married or not.… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
I was particularly talking with respect to aid, because that to me is one area that can make people so dependent, and unfortunately, that… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
African women in general need to know that it's OK for them to be the way they are - to see the way they… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything about GMOs, because these are advances in science. But I think its… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
When I first started, it was really an innocent response to the needs of women in rural areas. When we started planting trees to… — Wangari Maathai Copy Share Image
