A remarkable story of love and environmental dedication comes from China. A 67-year-old woman named Yi Jiefang has planted over two million trees in the deserts of northwest China’s Inner Mongolia for the past 12 years, all to fulfill her son’s last wish.
This journey began in 2000 when Yi received the devastating news that her only son, Yang Ruizhe, had died in an accident while studying in Japan. Filled with grief, Yi remembered her son’s dream of returning to China and devoting himself to planting trees in the country’s deserts. Inspired by his ambition, Yi made a life-changing decision.
To honor her son’s dream, Yi sold her house in Shanghai. Along with her son’s life insurance and accident compensation, she used these funds to establish a non-profit organization called “Green Life.” This organization’s mission: planting trees in the vast deserts of China.
Since 2004, Yi and her Green Life team have planted over 1.1 million trees on the harsh Keerqin sandy land. Their efforts don’t stop there. Yi has set her sights on an even more ambitious goal: planting trees across an 8,660 square kilometer area of the Ala Shan Desert in northwest China.
“Men cannot take money with them after they die,” Yi said. “I wish to turn my money into green lands, which can be everlasting.”
Yi’s dedication to her son’s dream and her commitment to environmental change are a true inspiration. Her story reminds us of the transformative power of love and the lasting impact one person can have on the world.
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