Wanjira Mathai, a Kenyan environmentalist, has been named among TIME Magazine’s top 100 Most Influential People of 2023 due to her unwavering dedication to restoring land, communities, and livelihoods. She is the daughter of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner, Prof. Wangari Maathai. Wanjira works as the Vice President and Regional Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute, chairs the Wangari Maathai Foundation, and is the chief Africa adviser to the Bezos Earth Fund, Jeff Bezos’s $10 billion fund aimed at fighting climate change and preserving nature by providing funding to scientists, activists, and NGOs.
Wanjira’s primary goal is to transform communities and landscapes to create economic opportunities in the green economy, green energy, and forestry. She directs attention, research, and funding towards the most vulnerable places and communities to help them combat climate change. Her work has earned her recognition from TIME Magazine as one of the top 100 Most Influential People of 2023.
Wanjira is determined to carry on her mother’s legacy by advocating for the environment and people, especially women and youth. Her mother, the late Wangari Maathai, was named in the TIME 100 Women of the Year in 2020, in a different category that celebrates women who have had a significant impact on the world. Bezos Earth Fund President & CEO, Dr. Andrew Steer, describes Wanjira as a fighter for justice and the future of the African continent.
She has led the iconic Green Belt Movement, pioneered investment in women entrepreneurs in renewable energy, and is driving a movement to restore 100 million hectares of African land. Wanjira has been listed alongside other notable figures such as Lionel Messi, Michael B. Jordan, MrBeast, and King Charles III.
