Wangari Maathai, the green warrior. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement along with women in rural Kenya to plant trees and combat the power structure that creates poverty from deforestation and environmental destruction. Despite government suppression, 100,000 people have participated in the movement to date and planted over 50 million seedlings. The MOTTAINAI TREE towel was created with the wish of spreading more beautiful forest on Maathai’s home land, Kenya.
In 2004 after years of hard work with the Green Belt Movement the commitment of Wangari Maathai was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. Planting trees and growing forests was not just an environmental cause, but a peace movement as well. Plant trees in the arid land. Grow food for your own consumption – just enough of each variety, rather than crops for mass consumption. The MOTTAINAI TREE is a symbol of the strong, healthy trees that grow in the land of Kenya, and the accompanying empowerment of women and Kenyan democracy movement.
Organic 1, our eternal staple. The organic cotton used in these towels is grown in Tanzania, just across the border from Maathai’s home land Kenya. On the border between these two countries stands Mt. Kilimanjaro – the highest peak in Africa. At the foot of this majestic mountain, at times capped in snow, lie the heavenly plains which countless animals call home. This rich ecosystem and the land that supports it is the pride of east Africa. This grand natural scene inspired the earthy colors on which Maathai’s motif has been embroidered.
