EN
The article presents Wangari Muta Maathai’s lifetime achievements and her involvement in the environmental protection in Kenya (1977–2011). The analysis of the Green Belt Movement seeks answers to the questions concerning African grassroots movements and their opportunities in the field of natural environment conservation, including safe access to potable water sources. The organisation initiated by Wangari Muta Maathai has been promoting the idea of tree planting in order to maintain sustainable ecosystem, which also concerns the crucial issue of sufficient clean water resources. The main source book used in this article is Maathai’s autobiography that is supported by individual observations of Magdalena Dębowska, gained during numerous visits in Kenya in the following years: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011–2012.