US man asserts if simple teacher and China farmer can grow a forest, world leaders can find peace

A retired American teacher is planning to travel to China in late summer for a reunion with a female farmer he assisted decades ago.In 1999, Ronald Sakolsky, then teaching English in China, was inspired by Inner Mongolian farmer Yin Yuzhen’s battle against desertification and donated US$5,000 to support her tree-planting efforts in the Maowusu Desert.This contribution enabled Yin to plant some of her earliest trees, sowing the seeds of a lasting friendship across continents.After witnessing her struggle against desertification on a Chinese state television broadcast, Sakolsky raised and donated US$5,000 to help her plant trees in Inner Mongolia. This story has recently resurfaced as Yin reconnected with Sakolsky through a video call. Photo: QQ.comRecently, the two reconnected through a transoceanic video call after decades apart.Wearing a vibrant red headscarf, Yin shared with Sakolsky in English the line she had practised diligently: “You are my brother.”She then extended an invitation in Chinese for him to visit China and witness the 50,000 trees that have thrived in the desert thanks to his generosity.Sakolsky expressed his desire to plant a tree alongside hers and learned that Yin’s son has joined her in caring for the forest.Delighted to be reunited, Yin, above, told her old friend in English a line she had practised diligently: “You are my brother.” Photo: QQ.comThe Maowusu Desert, one of China’s four major sandy regions, has seen forest coverage rise to 33 per cent over decades of planting efforts by generations of farmers, including Yin and her husband.Sakolsky told the SCMP he hopes to visit China in August or September for a reunion with Yin.Now retired, he was a social history teacher at a secondary school in Pennsylvania.Chinese internet users have flooded his social media with messages eagerly anticipating the reunion.Further ReadingIn one post, Sakolsky humbly stated that he is not the hero of the story; instead, Yin is the true “miracle maker,” and he merely helped her dream come to fruition.In a social media post, Sakolsky, above, humbly asserted that he is not the hero of the story; rather, Yin is the true “miracle maker,” while he merely assisted her in realising her dream. Photo: X@ChinaEmbIreland“If an American teacher teaching English in China can connect with a desert-dwelling Chinese woman and create a 50,000-tree forest, then if our world leaders truly seek peace, they can find it,” he added, urging people to focus on shared values rather than differences.Sakolsky has long been fascinated by Chinese culture, according to Benteng media reports.He still keeps a life-size replica of a Terracotta Warrior, a gift from the vice-principal of the school where he taught in China, which he uses to educate his students in the US about Chinese history.When they first began planting trees in 1985, Yin and her husband lived in a small, makeshift mud hut, above, buried among the sand dunes. Photo: QQ.comHe also reportedly adopted a Chinese name, Longfu, meaning “dragon” and “blessing.”In a recent social media video, Sakolsky was presented with a large mock ticket as a gift from the Inner Mongolia People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, which extended a formal invitation for him to visit China. However, it remains unclear who will cover the costs of the tickets, as discussions are still ongoing.Yin told mainland media that for their reunion, she plans to gift Sakolsky another pair of handmade insoles and cook noodles for him, as she did in 1999. Her original gift of sewn insoles was unfortunately destroyed in an accident.She also hopes to take him to sample Inner Mongolian lamb skewers and visit the flourishing forest.Yin shared that she remains dedicated to protecting the Maowusu forest as a symbol of friendship between their two countries and their shared planet.Yin, above, carrying a spade, has been actively involved in planting trees in the Maowusu Desert, one of China’s four major sandy regions. Photo: QQ.comHer story has inspired others around the globe.In 2015, an American man named Ashton visited the Maowusu Desert, referred to Yin as his elder sister, and has since planted more than 2,000 trees by hand.In April, 75-year-old American professor Siu Fong also planted six saplings during a visit to the desert.