Education

Kenya was given to Britain and from then on, the Europeans established an education system, medicines and a new religion that deferred diversely from what they locals had previously known. Wangari Maathai started school in 1947 even though it was unconventional that a girl was to attend school.

At 11 years old, she became a Catholic at St Cecelia’s boarding school. After leaving St Cecelia’s, Wangari went to a girl’s high school in Nairobi in 1956. It was here where she became intrigued with science and had the goal of studying in the university in Uganda. However, she had a better opportunity to study in the United States as many laws had been changed and Kenyans were now given the chance to study abroad.

The multiracial and multicultural nature of her American college was a new experience. In spite of all that, Wangari soon found out that such an interaction between races is not realistic in the real world. She got a job at the University of Naibori, Kenya, in order to put her knowledge to good use and help the African people.

(Unbowed Wangari Maathai, n.d.)