Quotes by Wangari Maathai

• Some say that AIDS came from the monkeys, and I doubt that because we have been living with monkeys from time immemorial, others say it was a curse from God, but I say it cannot be that.
• There's a general culture in this country to cut all the trees. It makes me so angry because everyone is cutting and no one is planting.
• It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.
• It's a matter of life and death for this country. The Kenyan forests are facing extinction and it is a man-made problem.
• We need to promote development that does not destroy our environment.
• It is important to nurture any new ideas and initiatives which can make a difference for Africa.
• Women are responsible for their children, they cannot sit back, waste time and see them starve.
• In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace.
• I am working to make sure we don't only protect the environment, we also improve governance.
• African women in general need to know that it's OK for them to be the way they are - to see the way they are as a strength, and to be liberated from fear and from silence.
• We are very fond of blaming the poor for destroying the environment. But often it is the powerful, including governments, that are responsible.