GBM Blog

This blog was written by guest blogger and intern in GBMI's U.S. Office, Claire Austin.

Supporters of the Green Belt Movement remind us every day of Professor Maathai’s hummingbird story. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a story about a little hummingbird in the middle of a raging forest fire - doing the best it can. The story teaches that even when problems seem overwhelming, we can all make an impact – no matter how large or small.

Our latest ‘hummingbird’ is fourth-grader Zayd of Bethesda, Maryland. Zayd is making “peace tree” cards with illustrations of trees and a note that lets the buyer know more about the Green Belt Movement. He sells the cards for $20, which provides a gift of ten trees to the Green Belt Movement.

For his ninth birthday, Zayd asked his friends to buy the cards instead of birthday presents for him. He raised $300, which is enough money to plant 150 trees. He has set a new goal to donate enough money to GBM to plant 1,000 trees—good luck, Zayd!

GBM is thankful for kids like Zayd who are helping support the Green Belt Movement and sharing our story all over the world. Contact our regional offices and tell us how you are being a hummingbird to get featured on our web site.