Emuzini osekwehleleni kweNtaba iKenya eMpumalanga ye-Afrika, kwakunentombazanyana eyayisebenza emasimini nomama wayo.

Igama layo kwakunguWangari.

UWangari wayekuthanda ukuba ngaphandle. Esivandeni sokudla somndeni wakhe wayelima khona umhlabathi ngegeja lakhe i-machete. Wayecindezela imbewu encane emhlabathini ofudumele.

Isikhathi sosuku ayesithanda kwakungemvana kokushona kwelanga. Lapho sekumnyama kakhulu ukuthi angabona izitshalo, uWangari wayazi ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokubuyela ekhaya.

Wayelandela indledlana encane edabula amasimu awele nemifula, aqhubeke nohambo lwakhe.

UWangari wayeyingane ehlakaniphe kakhulu futhi wayeselangazelela ukuya esikoleni. Kodwa umama kanye nobaba wakhe babefuna ahlale ekhaya ukuze abasize.

Lapho eseneminyaka eyisikhombisa, umfowabo omdala wanxusa abazali bakhe ukuthi bamyeke aye esikoleni.

Wayekuthanda ukufunda!

UWangari wafunda okuningi ngaleyo naleyo ncwadi ayeyifunda. Wenza kahle kakhulu esikoleni waze wamenywa ukuthi ayofunda eMelika.

Lokhu kwamhlaba umxhwele uWangari! Wayefuna ukwazi kabanzi ngomhlaba.

ENyuvesi yaseMelika uWangari wafunda izinto eziningi ezintsha. Wafunda ngezitshalo nangokuthi zikhula kanjani. Wakhumbula nangokuthi wakhula kanjani: edlala imidlalo nabafowabo emithunzini yezihlahla ezinkulu emahlathini amahle aseKenya.

Lapho kwanda akufundayo, wabona nokuthi wayebathanda abantu baseKenya. Wayefuna ukuba bajabule futhi bakhululeke.

Lapho efunda kabanzi, wayelokhu ekhumbula ikhaya lakhe elise-Afrika.

Lapho eseqede izifundo zakhe, wabuyela eKenya. Kodwa izwe lakhe lase liguqukile. Kwakukhona amapulazi amakhulu ayesendlaleke kulo mhlaba.

Abesifazane babengenazo izinkuni zokubasa umlilo wokupheka. Abantu babempofu kanti nezingane zilambile.

UWangari wakwazi ukuthi kumele enzeni. Wafundisa abantu besifazane ukuthi batshale izihlahla ngembewu.

Abesifazane babezithengisa izihlahla basebenzise imali ukunakekela imindeni yabo. Abesifazane babethokoze kakhulu. UWangari wayesebasize ukuthi bazizwe beyizikhondlakhondla futhi beqinile.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kwakhula izihlahla ezintsha zaba ngamahlathi, kwase kuqala ukugeleza kwemifula futhi. Umlayezo kaWangari wasabalala ne-Afrika.

Namhlanje, sekunezigidi zezihlahla esezikhule zivela embewini kaWangari.

UWangari wayesebenze kanzima.

Lokhu kwabonwa abantu emhlabeni wonke, base bemklomelisa ngomklomelo odumile. Ubizwa nge-Nobel Peace Prize, futhi wayengowesifazane wase-Afrika wokuqala ngqa ukuwuthola.

UWangari washona ngowezi-2011, kodwa sicabanga ngaye njalo uma sibona isihlahla esihle.