111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl

A boy grows up to bring positive change to his village in India. This story is true, and it started with a boy named Sundar. After the deaths of his mother, and later his daughter, Sundar Paliwal knows what he has to do. He is determined to live in a place where girls and boys are treated equally and where the surrounding countryside is not ravaged by irresponsible mining. And so he comes up with a plan.

In rural India, where many people cling to age-old customs and gender inequality and discrimination are encouraged, Sundar manages to convince the people of his village to welcome every girl born with the planting of 111 trees. His efforts have turned a desert village into a green oasis that is safe and prosperous for girls. And his heroic actions confirm that the ability to impact our communities in a positive way is not beyond anyone's reach.

 

Written by Rina Singh, Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer