Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees
A scientist from Kenya noticed that the rivers were drying up. Her answer was simple: plant trees. Her idea grew into a movement and won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Transcript
Tap the speaker to hear a line. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them.
Wangari Maathai was born in 1940 in a small village in Kenya.
As a child, she drank clean water from a stream near her home and watched the frogs' eggs in the water.
She was an excellent student, and she won a scholarship to study in the United States.
In 1971, she became the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate.
But when she returned home, she that something was wrong.
The streams she remembered were . Forests had been cut down.
Women told her they had to walk further and further to find and clean water.
Wangari had a simple idea: why not plant trees?
Trees would bring back the soil, protect the water and give people wood for cooking.
In 1977, she started the Green Belt Movement. She taught women how to grow and paid them a small amount for each tree that .
Not everyone was happy. When she powerful people to protect forests and parks, she was arrested and even attacked.
But she to be silent.
Over the years, the movement planted tens of millions of trees across Kenya.
In 2004, Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize. She was the first African woman to receive it.
She often told a story about a forest fire. All the animals ran away, except one small hummingbird.
The hummingbird flew to the river again and again, carrying one drop of water at a time.
The bigger animals laughed and asked, 'What do you think you are doing?'
The hummingbird answered: 'I am doing the best I can.'
Wangari died in 2011, but her trees are still growing.
Her story reminds us that you don't have to be big to .
Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
notice verb
to see or become aware of something
“She noticed that something was wrong.”
dry up phrasal verb
(of a river or stream) to slowly lose all its water
“The streams she remembered were drying up.”
firewood noun
wood that people burn to cook or keep warm
“They had to walk further to find firewood.”
seedling noun
a very young plant that has just grown from a seed
“She taught women how to grow seedlings.”
survive verb
to continue to live, especially after a difficult time
“She paid them for each tree that survived.”
stand up to phrasal verb
to refuse to accept bad treatment from someone more powerful
“She stood up to powerful people to protect forests.”
refuse verb
to say or show that you will not do something
“She refused to be silent.”
make a difference phrase
to have a good effect on a situation or on people
“You don't have to be big to make a difference.”
Step 4
Story Challenge
8 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
Well done!
Look at these again
This week's top 10
Resets every MondayNo scores yet this week. Be the first!
Take it further
Think about it: What is one small thing you can do this week to make a difference where you live?
Speaking challenge: Retell the hummingbird story in your own words. Record yourself and listen back.
