Mireia's English Blog

I. How many people in the world do you think don’t have access to safe water?

II. How many people in the world do you think don’t have access to a toilet?

III. Watch the beginning of this video to check your answers to I & II.

IV. Now watch up to 1:40 and then write down the consequences of the lack of water and toilets in the world’s poorest communities.

V. Watch again up to the end to check your answers to IV and also to find out the name of the NGO improving access to safe waterm hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.

Taking Root: the Vision of Wangari Maathai

Taking Root tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy—a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration.

Watch this clip and write T (true) or F (false) next to each statement. Correct the false statements and add details if needed.

1. Women were complaining about the fact that they did not have firewood.
2. Women were complaining about the fact that they did not have enough water.
3. Women started planting trees for their own needs.
4. From the very beginning, the Kenyan government started interfering with these women.
5. Wangari Maathai was disobedient at a time when disobedience was not tolerated.
6. The Green Belt Movement has planted over 3.5 million trees.