A single person can make a huge difference. And, the inspiring story of Jadav Payeng aka the ‘Forest Man of India’ stands proof of that. The 57-year-old Assamese farmer’s four-decade-long feat of single-handedly raising a forest will now grace the curriculum of school students in the US.
In what will be the Padmasri awardee’s latest laurel, his story will grace the curriculum of sixth grade Bristol Connecticut school students. Payeng, who has been planting saplings since 1979, has dedicated nearly 42 years of his life to taking care of 550-acre forest land in the Molai woods in Assam. Transforming the barren sandbar into a heavily wooded landscape, his efforts even led to the return of wildlife in the area.
Navami Sarma, an Assamese working as a teacher in Green Hills School, was quoted saying by News18, “Here we don’t follow any textbook. The schools are operated by the district administration and educationists prepare the curriculum for particular classes. Jadav Payeng’s life lessons are included in one such curriculum.”
She further added,
“Students of four sections in class six Science stream studied about Payeng. I felt so proud, the students were so enthusiastic after knowing his incredible work. They also took part in the Q&A session later. They were astonished to know how a single person can create a huge forest on his own.”
Payeng’s work was incorporated as part of the student’s Ecology and Environmental Science. They even watched 2 documentaries demonstrating his course of life. “The primary reason was to inspire and encourage future generations of the country on how a single person can make a huge positive impact in the world if he or she has the right attitude and determination,” the teacher added.
This is a proud moment for Assam. I urge everyone to take inspiration from his works and together strive to protect & conserve our environment and biodiversity.
— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) October 30, 2020
Dawn Killiany, who also teaches at Green Hills School, was quoted saying by Deccan Herald, “His (Payeng) story is so powerful because he was inspired by an ecological problem at a young age and took action to help fix it. Jadav inspires our students to learn about and protect the environment. If every person does a small act, there can be a big impact on the environment.”
Interestingly, Payeng wasn’t unaware that students in the US were studying his work. But he was happy to hear about it. Well, his story shows that anything can be achieved through passion and perseverance. Kudos to the brilliant man.