Unit -4

When a sapling is planted

This lesson is a speech delivered by the well-known
African environmentalist Wangari Maathai after accepting
the Nobel Prize for peace in 2004. In this lesson she advises
us to have a sensitive and reverential love for nature.
•Expresses the sensitive and reverential love for nature
•Dedicates the Nobel Prize to the women and children of Kenya
•Encourages the women and children of Kenya to take up leadership.
•Speaks about the damages and changes caused by deforestation
•Remarks the danger of introducing commercial farming to the
environment.
•Price of export is controlled by International trade. It affects the
income of the people.
•Local people suffer so much and they can’t meet their basic needs.
•Thus the quality of life is disturbed when the environment is destroyed.
•Speaks of the importance of planting trees as a remedy for this.
•Wangari Maathai planted 30 million trees together with the members of
the Green Belt Movement.
•As a result of Green Belt Movement employment opportunities were
created .
•In Kenya the tree became a symbol of peace.
•She speaks of the urgency to heal the wounds of mother earth.
•Underlines the importance of sustainable management of environment.
•Exhorts the young generation to bring back the biodiversity of the past.
•It will ensure our children to enjoy the world of beauty and wonder.
When a sapling is planted, there is talk of receiving the Nobel
Prize from Wangari Mathai. He begins his speech by
accepting the award on behalf of the people of Kenya,
especially women and children. He hopes the award will
encourage them to raise their voices.

Wangari Mathai founded the Green Belt movement in

response to the needs of rural women. Women are the first
to realize the damage to the environment because their
lives are inextricably linked with the environment.
Commercial agriculture, international trade agreements and
environmental damage have drastically undermined their
quality of life.
Planting trees was a natural choice to solve these problems because it
was simple and achievable. These trees provided fuel, food, shelter and
income to support their families.

Degraded environment leads to excessive use of scarce resources.

Ecosystem destruction, deforestation, climate instability and soil and
water contamination lead to poverty and even conflict.
The Greenbelt movement later became a pro-democracy movement in
Kenya, realizing that responsible environmental management is only
possible in a democratic space.

Even today, activities that devastate the environment and society

continue unabated. We should revive our sense of belonging to the
larger family of life and take steps to protect biodiversity. It is time to
think about sustainable management of the environment in a
democratic and peaceful space.
In conclusion, he calls on young people to commit
themselves to activities that would help achieve this
goal. We must pass on to posterity the beauty and
wonder of nature without destroying it and trying to
restore its lost glory.