Today, Wangari Maathai looks at her lifework, incapable to capture what she started: The green belt movement with its 30 million planted trees saved large parts of the country from erosion. The movement not only freed uncountable country women from poverty, but also created a powerful ecological opposition in Kenya. She says: “The needs which the poor in the slums and the country women expressed were basic. We knew, if we could teach the poor about plants and trees, then they could supply themselves with firewood, they would have building material, they could harvest fruit and thus have a better diet. And on top, they would have a more beautiful environment!”

But everything started small. „Our first goal was to meet the basic needs of the women. It took many years until we started to explain to them the connection between the country’s ecological exploitation and their social situation. By now, our movement has reached a new level. Now they understand the need to save entire forests and other natural areas, to defend the seed’s quality and to give the rights to the small scale farmers, so that they can live from their work without having to exploit their own lands. We cannot allow business people to do whatever they want at the expense of the environment. This accounts especially for the international corporations of industrial agriculture, genetic engineering and the wood industry. While they have an eye on free trade rights and profit, they have to take into account their responsibility for the environment and for the future generations who are going to inhabit those countries. I emphasize this, because there are many corporations from the USA, Japan and Europe which care for the environment in their own country, respect the public call for a healthy future and comply with the national standards. But when they go to African countries, they take advantage of the corrupt and bribable governments there. That’s why we need something like a global ethical code, like a behaviour index. We cannot apply two different standards: In the developing countries, companies have to abide by the same rules as at home", says Maathai.

Today, Kenya is one of the few African countries which fixes a limit for genetic engineering. It didn’t happen because Wangari Maathai and her green belt movement tried to convince the people of something. It happened because the people had started to help themselves. Maathai: “The wonderful thing is: When trees, which are alive, grow, you build a relationship with them. This relationship empowers hope. The trees become a symbol for hope for a better life." Where Wangari Maathai comes from, they call her respectfully „Mama Miti“: “Mother of the trees”. Her trademark has long been a colourful outfit. She chose this as a symbol for life, diversity, courage and presence. Her confident smile has wiped away all traces of the injuries she experienced during the years of struggle. That lies behind her now. When Wangari Maathai looks back, she only looks at the stunning story which turned herself into the person which she is today: first Kenyan female professor, deputy minister for the environment, first African woman who received the Nobel Price for Peace.