Kenya | Exploring the Legacy of Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate

About this trip

Born in Kenya in 1940, Wangari Maathai represents a series of firsts: she was the first East African and Central African woman to earn a doctorate degree, the first female university professor in Kenya, and the first African woman and first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She advocated for democracy in Kenya, fought on behalf of women’s rights, and pushed environmental issues to the forefront of Kenyan society. Integrating these pursuits, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, which synthesized the issues affecting poor and rural Kenya and created a blueprint for environmental initiatives today. Although Professor Maathai passed away in 2011, her influence lives on in the current work of the Wangari Maathai Foundation and the Wangari Maathai Institute and in the countless environmental initiatives she inspired. Follow in the footsteps of this trailblazing leader for a closer look at her inspiring legacy.

OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION: Continue your Africa experience with an optional post-trip wildlife and culture safari experience in Tanzania, June 30 - July 7, 2022.

Highlights

• Explore Wangari Maathai’s enduring  legacy, courage, vision, and persistence. 
• Gain an in-depth understanding of the Green Belt Movement and how they are carrying on Maathai’s vision to empower communities and conserve the environment.
• Visit the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies.
• Visit Ihithe, where Maathai was born, and view the landscape that impacted her throughout her life.
• Join Nyeri Green Belt Movement community members in their homes and learn firsthand about a day in their lives as they work to improve their livelihoods while protecting the environment.  
• Enjoy an amazing wildlife safari experience in Nakuru National Park as well as Maasai Mara National Reserve. See lions, leopards, rhinoceros, and elephant in their habitat, the East African plains.. 

About your leader

Allen Stenstrup

Allen Stenstrup retired in 2014 from his position as Director of Education Programs for the American Forest Foundation and Project Learning Tree. Al has worked in education for over 45 years—including teaching at both the middle school and university level, directing an environmental center, and conducting professional development workshops in different countries. He has always had an interest and admiration in the work and legacy of Wangari Maathai. He has written several educational pieces about her work and the programs she established.

In his “retirement,” Al continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Green Schools National Network and the Children Are the Hope nonprofits. He also conducts education workshops in different regions of the world on a part-time basis. In 2017, he started a new adventure forming a small nonprofit organization, Our First Garden, Inc. The mission of the group is to support the building and operation of gardens and natural outdoor play areas on school grounds in developing countries.

“This journey will be a great opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a great leader. We will explore and learn about many aspects of her life. We will also see parts of Africa and its diverse flora and fauna.  I am counting down the days.”