The inspiring story of 'Forest man of India', Jadav Payeng, has reached the shores of the US.
Payeng's four-decade-long feat of single-handedly raising a 550-acre forest of barren sandbar will now grace the curriculum of sixth grade Bristol Connecticut school students, in what will be the latest laurel for the 57-year-old Assamese farmer.
"The students are studying about Padma Shri Jadav Payeng as a part of their ecology lesson," Navamee Sharma, a teacher at Greene Hills School in Bristol Connecticut, told DH on Sunday.
"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."
Concerned over ecological degradation in Majuli island (now a district) in eastern Assam, Payeng began planting trees on the barren sandbar, eventually transforming it into a deep forest.
Elephants, deer, rhinos, tigers and many other animals now live in the jungle.
Sharma, who hails from neighbouring Jorhat district, said students in the school also watched two documentaries on Payeng as part of their curriculum. "It was an extremely proud moment for me too as I see Payeng’s contributions being recognised globally," she said.
Navamee said some other schools in Bristol also taught Payeng's story.
"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," said Dawn Killiany, who also teaches at Green Hills School, in a text message to DH.
"He single-handedly grew an entire forest where many animals have returned to live. 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."
Payeng said he was unaware about the development, but was happy to know that students in the US were studying about his work.
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