Namibians celebrate Kenyan Nobel win

WOMEN in Namibia on Monday celebrated with Wangari Maathai from Kenya, who became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Approached for comment by The Namibian, Rosina //Hoabes, Mayor of Swakopmund and newly elected President of the Association for Local Authorities in Namibia (Alan), said it was a well deserved prize. “As a woman I am really, really happy for her,” she said.//Hoabes, who obtained a Masters degree in environmental education last year, said women have always taken care of the environment.”Women are spearheading sustainable development in this country by planting for and feeding their families.We can learn a lot from the Nobel laureate, even if it is just something small.I hope many women will be inspired by the prize and start doing even more.”Margaret Jacobsohn, Co-Director of Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC), said it was very fitting that an African woman had won the prize.”It is wonderful and we are very proud to be associated with her as laureates of the same award.”Jacobsohn and co-director, Garth Owen-Smith, won the Goldman Foundation’s Grassroots Environmental Award for Africa in 1993 – the same award that Maathai won before them.Jacobsohn described the Kenyan winner was remarkable as she had a holistic approach to environment.”You cannot separate the environment from politics and economics.It is wonderful that she is leading the world in this approach.She is a role model.”She said not only African countries could learn a lot from her, but also countries in the northern hemisphere where they tended to separate the environment from other issues.For Blythe Loutit of the Save the Rhino Trust:”it is absolutely wonderful that an African woman has won it.I hope others will follow suit.”She said it was great encouragement for especially the youth.Loutit expressed hope that the Namibian Forestry Department, which she felt was doing an excellent job, would derive even more inspiration from it.She said it was very important to ensure that only indigenous trees were planted in the country.”As a woman I am really, really happy for her,” she said.//Hoabes, who obtained a Masters degree in environmental education last year, said women have always taken care of the environment.”Women are spearheading sustainable development in this country by planting for and feeding their families.We can learn a lot from the Nobel laureate, even if it is just something small.I hope many women will be inspired by the prize and start doing even more.”Margaret Jacobsohn, Co-Director of Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC), said it was very fitting that an African woman had won the prize.”It is wonderful and we are very proud to be associated with her as laureates of the same award.”Jacobsohn and co-director, Garth Owen-Smith, won the Goldman Foundation’s Grassroots Environmental Award for Africa in 1993 – the same award that Maathai won before them.Jacobsohn described the Kenyan winner was remarkable as she had a holistic approach to environment.”You cannot separate the environment from politics and economics.It is wonderful that she is leading the world in this approach.She is a role model.”She said not only African countries could learn a lot from her, but also countries in the northern hemisphere where they tended to separate the environment from other issues.For Blythe Loutit of the Save the Rhino Trust:”it is absolutely wonderful that an African woman has won it.I hope others will follow suit.”She said it was great encouragement for especially the youth.Loutit expressed hope that the Namibian Forestry Department, which she felt was doing an excellent job, would derive even more inspiration from it.She said it was very important to ensure that only indigenous trees were planted in the country.