Ecofem Tales

  In the heart of Kenya’s highlands, where the soil is rich and the trees once stood like sentinels of life, a woman planted trees and a quiet revolution. Wangari Maathai, the fierce and compassionate founder of the Green Belt Movement, was more than an environmentalist. She was a warrior for justice, a mother of trees, and the matriarch of African ecofeminism. Her life was interwoven with themes of resistance, renewal, and radical love for the Earth and its people, especially its women. At Ecofem Tales, we remember Maathai not just as the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, but as a profound embodiment of what it means to stand at the intersection of ecological protection and gender liberation. Her story is not a relic of the past, it is a living call to environmental action. In the 1970s, Kenya was facing rampant deforestation, soil erosion, and a decline in water levels. All of these were consequences of colonial land mismanagement and post-independence devel...

  In the growing call for climate action, Vanessa Nakate stands as a bold voice from Uganda, one that echoes with conviction, urgency, and purpose. Her rise from solo climate strikes to global platforms is not just a story of environmental activism; it’s a call to center African voices and women’s leadership in the fight for a sustainable future. Vanessa Nakate’s journey began in 2019 when she was inspired by Greta Thunberg. But unlike many stories that follow global trends, Nakate chose to start a movement rooted in the unique realities of her homeland. She founded the Rise Up Movement, a platform to amplify African perspectives in climate conversations too often dominated by voices from the Global North. Her Green Schools Project reflects action, not just advocacy by installing solar panels and eco-stoves in Ugandan schools, she is promoting renewable energy, reducing deforestation, and transforming the way education and sustainability intersect. Vanessa doesn’t separate th...

At Ecofem Tales, we believe in storytelling as resistance, restoration, and re-imagination. On Tuesday, that vision came to life as our founder, Francisca Ogechi Okwulehie, presented her PhD research at the ETH4D Mentorship Practical Philosophy Internal Colloquium in Zurich. Left to right: Claire, Fanny, Professor. Nadia Mazouz, Francisca Okwulehie,Dr. Tea Lobo and Daniel Lucas all from the Professorship of Practical Philosophy ETH Zurich Her presentation, “Earth Healing in African Women’s Environmental Narratives: A Moral Pluralism Approach,” is a powerful contribution to African ecofeminist thought and climate justice. With philosophical clarity and deep cultural grounding, she centered the voices of Niger Delta women so often erased from environmental discourse as holders of ecological knowledge, spiritual resilience, and ethical insight. Francisca O. Okwulehie, Founder Ecofem Tales, wins ETH4D Doctoral Mentorship Program at ETH Zurich Her work is a call to remember that environment...

In the spring of 2003, as the ice thawed and the first signs of renewal stirred in the North, a quiet but powerful journey began. A group of Anishinaabe grandmothers; Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region, whose traditional territories span parts of what is now Canada and the northern United States, set out to walk around the Great Lakes. They did not walk for fame, nor for protest signs or cameras. They walked for the water. Their journey was an act of love and ceremony, a response to the pollution and misuse of the Great Lakes, a system that holds nearly 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. Led by Josephine Mandamin, an Anishinaabe grandmother and water protector, they walked thousands of miles with copper pails in hand, offering prayers to the water at every step. This movement, known as the Mother Earth Water Walks was not just a response to environmental degradation. It was a restoration of responsibility. A return to a sacred relationship. A reclaiming of Indigenous ...

  Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is an expert in the adaptation and mitigation of indigenous peoples to climate change. She is a proud member of the Mbororo pastoralist people in Chad and has dedicated her life to advocating for Indigenous rights and environmental protection. At just 16, she founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT), working to ensure the inclusion of indigenous knowledge and traditions in global climate action. Today, she serves as Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, amplifying the voices of those who have long been excluded from decision-making. Hindou was born into a world where nature dictates life, where the land is not just a resource but an extension of identity, culture, and sustenance. As a child, she learned from her elders how to read the landscape, understand seasonal changes, and coexist harmoniously with the environment. Yet, she also saw the struggles women faced, limited access to education, exc...

Did you know that every time a forest is cleared or a species disappears, the delicate balance of nature is disrupted? Biodiversity loss is one of the most pressing yet often overlooked environmental challenges we face today. It refers to the decline in the variety of life on Earth, including plants, animals, and entire ecosystems, largely due to deforestation, pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change. Why Does Biodiversity Matter? Biodiversity is essential for the health of our planet and our own survival. Here’s how it impacts us: 1.  Food Security – Many of the foods we rely on, from fruits and vegetables to grains, depend on healthy ecosystems. The loss of pollinators like bees and butterflies can directly threaten global food production. 2.  Clean Air and Water – Forests and wetlands act as natural filters, purifying the air we breathe and the water we drink. When ecosystems collapse, so does the quality of these vital resources. 3.  Ecosystem Balance – ...