(Spotlight4754)The Sapling Project 12 September, 2011
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Welcome to Spotlight, I'm Adam Navis. Voice 2
And I'm Robin Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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Do you ever wonder if you can make a difference? Do the world's problems seem too big? Many people have this feeling. And many people do not know what to do. But two men in India are trying to change that. They want people to make one small change in their communities. They hope if enough people make this change, it will make a big difference. They want people to plant trees.
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Today's Spotlight is on 'The Sapling Project.' Voice 1
Satish Vijaykumar and Ranjeet Walunj live in Mumbai, India. They started the Sapling Project. Satish believes that their idea is like a tree. It starts with a seed – the seed is like an idea. Then the seed grows into a small tree - a sapling. Soon, the tree is bigger. It has branches that can reach far. Like the tree, as an idea grows, it can touch many people. Ranjeet told Spotlight about their idea,
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"Most of us just keep thinking that we want to do something. But we never actually do anything. With the sapling project, we give one small opportunity to ACT on something - something which will give our next generation to best environment." Voice 2
This is a problem for many people in the world. It is difficult to know what to do about our worries. But Satish and Ranjeet decided to do something. They decided to plant trees.
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So why plant trees? What problems does planting trees solve? Well, in Mumbai, India, there are millions of people. They all need places to live and work. This requires new buildings. But, when new buildings appear, they also get rid of trees.
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The Indian government did a study of the country's trees. This study shows that India has millions of trees. But India also cuts down three to four thousand trees every day. That is a lot of trees being cut down. It is not healthy for the environment. Trees clean the air. And they can help fight climate change.
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Satish said many people blame the government for letting so many trees get cut down. But he says that blaming does not solve problems. People often say they want to 'save the trees' but they do not do anything. Instead, people should say 'let us plant trees!' This way, people can work together to solve problems. Often, when Satish tells people about the project, he asks,
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"Do you want your children and grand-children to breathe clean air? If the answer is yes, do something. Plant a tree. Or help us plant a tree!" Voice 2
Satish told his friend Ranjeet about his idea. Ranjeet thought of a great way to get other people involved. He used the internet to tell people about the project. Soon, people were giving money. And Satish and Ranjeet were bringing saplings all over the city for people to plant.
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Planting trees is not a new idea. Many people have been planting trees to help change the world for many years. But, the Sapling Project is different from other tree planting projects. Most tree planting happens in country areas where there once were large forests. But Satish and Ranjeet believe that it is important to plant trees in cities and towns. Trees can help block noise from busy city streets. And, if people plant trees near their homes and businesses they can help care for them.
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This is an important part of the Sapling Project. It is designed to get many Indian people involved in their own communities. It is designed to encourage people to make a difference. Satish told The Christian Science Monitor,
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"The world is full of nice people. The only thing you need to do is get them moving." Voice 1
Many people are moving in India now. The Sapling Project is growing. Indian people have already planted over a thousand trees. Here is how it works. One sapling costs 44 cents. People give money to Satish and Ranjeet to buy the trees. Anyone can give money - even people in other countries! Then, Satish and Ranjeet put the trees in a car and drive around the city. Anyone can take a tree from the car and plant it. They just have to promise to take care of the tree for two years. That is the time a tree needs to grow strong roots.
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Satish says that it is a good thing for people to have to care for the tree for two years. Caring for a tree is a little like caring for a child. You get to watch it grow. He says caring for these trees is also a way to care for future Indian children. For Ranjeet this is particularly true. He has a young daughter. He wants to see her grow up in a city that is green and healthy.
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There is another interesting thing about the Sapling Project. We said that they use the Internet to tell people about the project. But they also use the Internet to show how the trees are growing. First someone plants a sapling. Then, if they can, they put information on a website like facebook or twitter or a blog. They can take pictures of their sapling and show how it is growing. It is a great way to make people happy about the project. And it also makes people want to do a good job caring for their tree.
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Satish and Ranjeet have given away about six thousand [6,000] saplings so far. And the project has spread to five other cities in India.
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People in Mumbai are very happy about the project. It is already making big changes. The Christian Science Monitor talked to one mother about the project.
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Veeni Bhagat was looking for trees to plant. Then she found the Sapling Project website. She decided to give a sapling to all of the children in her building. The children planted their own saplings. Now the children must care for them. They use the waste water from their homes to water the trees.
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Before the trees were planted the area was just open and full of waste. Now, the children have a nice place to play. Veeni says this is a good way to teach children the value of nature and how to care for the environment.
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India has the second largest population of any country in the world. But lots of people can make little changes. And together, those little changes can make a big difference.
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If you would like to join or learn more about the sapling project, please visit our website at radio.english.net. There we have a link to the Sapling Project's website. Voice 2
The writer of this program was Sara DeKoster. The producer was Adam Navis. The voices you heard were from the United States. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. This program is called "The Sapling Project."
