The creation of the Youth Hub for the Wangari Maathai Foundation is based on empowering the youth with a platform where their views can be heard and emboldened.
The Wangari Maathai Foundation is built upon the legacy of the former minister of Environment Prof Wangari Maathai, who was not only an Environmental Activist but also a peace builder, women empowerment champion, strong and powerful human rights defender, and governance leader. The Foundation is focused on amplifying her legacy in supporting education, and impactful actions through youth empowerment and youth work.
The foundation has flagged programs empowering the young like the Youth Hub now in the process which is for young adults, and the Wanakesho program which entails children from age 6-17, enlightening them about the importance of education and showing them some of the professors’ works. In addition to that is a provision of resources for activities like tree planting in their schools, as some of the actions to assist them understand how crucial sustainability and development are.
Prof Wangari Maathai is renowned as an Environment/Human Activist to the world and is remembered for her Intellectual, bravado, focus, persistence, and consistency. Even more intriguing are the perspectives of the people that worked around her who attest to her convictions as awakening, motivating, and inspiring.
Mrs. Njeri Kabeberi, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, a Human Rights Defender and Environmental Activist emphasizes that there’s a need to never forget environmental rights are human rights. She shares her story since meeting Prof Wangari Maathai thirty years ago at a time she had organized a Release Political Prisoners campaign with the mothers of the arrested.
“Meeting Prof Wangari Maathai changed my life from when I joined her hunger campaign until the prisoners were released. Upon the release, I had become a devotee/mentee of Prof Wangari Maathai. I am honored and privileged to work on augmenting her legacy and finding a way to appreciate her for mentoring me,” said the CEO of the Foundation.
Mrs. Njeri remarks that the Foundation’s strategy is focused on seeing a dynamic change in the youth within diverse spaces by 2030. Further revealing intentions to have a global membership that enables members or organizations within to do projects commenced by Prof Wangari Maathai with the foundation’s support. “As a foundation, we will support green masters at the community level like the Green Masters in Mathare, whereby empowerment is done, resources offered, and knowledge & expertise also given at the community level.
In reference to the hummingbird’s story, she echoes Professor Wangari Maathai’s words: “Each individual like a hummingbird can make a difference when there’s a forest fire. We cannot wait to become a hundred or to become many, for us to start something. Build on an idea then people will join along.”
According to AU Youth Envoy representative, Chido Mpemba, it’s the responsibility of the young people to be audible and daring enough to challenge the policymakers and be updated on the information discussed in the space.
“We need to demand space for the youth’s participation in the political arena so that our voices can be heard,” she adds.
