Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"When she first started the GBM in 1977 by planting trees to replace those cut down by irresponsible logging, the Kenyan government was merely baffled. When six hundred tree nurseries, all run by women, were established within a decade, President Daniel arap Moi’s corrupt government became worried. When the GBM opposed the construction of a sixty-two-story building in Nairobi to be the headquarters of the ruling political party, the government became violent. Dr. Maathai was physically assaulted on at least three occasions. The result of this clumsy intimidation was that the world’s human rights and women’s organizations weighed into the fight, the global media suddenly had a new item of interest, Northern foundations offered moneys for her tree-planting project (to date, she and her movement have planted more than twenty million trees), the awards and prizes to her and the GBM from across the world have multiplied, and the Kenyan government has had to back off." [Kennedy: Parliament of Man, Kindle, Location 3754]