The Green Belt Movement, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Kenya Community Development Foundation yesterday announced the launch of The Wangari Maathai Scholarship Fund. The fund seeks to encourage and promote a youth-led sustainable development agenda that is grounded in values by encouraging creativity, activism and dedication to environmental issues.
The late Nobel Peace Price Laureate strongly believed in nurturing new ideas and initiatives to make a difference for Africa and she dedicated her life to promoting environmental, social and democratic values to ensure equitable development in Kenya. Women form an integral support network for the work that the Green Belt Movement does to empower communities by conserving their environment and improving their livelihoods.
The Wangari Maathai scholarship fund will be awarded annually, with the first cycle being granted during the 2013 academic year. In its first year, the scholarship fund will support a young woman aged 18 to 25 years, who has promoted positive values, demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication in environmental conservation.
“ Prof. Wangari Maathai valued education; she was the recipient of scholarships that made a big difference in her life and enabled her to nurture her values and leadership skills.” said Wanjira Mathai, Director, International Affairs at the Green Belt Movement during the launch.
“For the Green Belt Movement, the fund’s focus on environmental issues is critical as our environment sustains all life forms and provides a foundation for development…. This is an investment in the future of our great country.” She added.
The launch of the Wangari Maathai scholarship fund is a twin effort of the New York based Maathai Award established by The Rockefeller Foundation, the Midler Family Trust, New York Restoration Project and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation established in New York.
The Maathai Award is granted to public high school seniors in New York who have demonstrated academic and extracurricular commitment to environmental stewardship through sustainability-themed projects.
“The launch of the Wangari Maathai scholarship fund demonstrates the increasingly important role innovation is playing in finding solutions to challenges that directly affect the quality of our lives. We live in a dynamic world; and equipping young people with the basic tools they require to actively make a difference will help incubate new ideas, in this case environmental, and encourage a culture of proactive risk mitigation rather than reactive problem solving.” said Eme Essien Lore, Interim Managing Director, The Rockefeller Foundation – Africa Regional Office.
Applications are open and can be accessed on the websites: http://www.kcdf.or.ke/ and http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/. Young women across the country with any demonstrated passion for environmental issues are strongly encouraged to apply.