Meet the man on a mission to restore the degraded ecosystem and help nature sustain
When we say the “problem of Climate change is huge”, we are frightening people from taking action – believe Aviram Rozin, Founder and International Director of Sadhana Forest, an international water conservation and reforestation organization active in India, Haiti and Kenya.
The team has plans to expand in Namibia as well.
“Haven’t we as humans solved the problem of slavery? Yes, we did. Hence, the message should be – we humans are capable enough to solve the issue of climate change,” said Aviram while talking to team UPDEED.
Practising what he preaches, Aviram and his wife Yorit Rozin are Israeli natives who moved to the 1968-founded multiethnic community known as Auroville while in their 30s.
And the journey begins….
The Israeli couple’s journey started when they went on a mission to transform 70 acres of severely eroded, arid land in Auroville – a town in the Viluppuram district, mostly in Tamil Nadu, with some parts in the Union Territory of Pondicherry in India.
The couple converted the barren land into a lush green tropical forest. “In a spirit of human unity, our aim is to introduce a growing number of people to sustainable living and food security through ecological transformation, wasteland reclamation, and veganism,” said Aviram.
Further enhancing their objective, the Sadhana Forest comes out with………………..
A new initiative for rural India
Talking exclusively with team UPDEED, Aviram informs that the rural communities in India are continuously facing the brunt of and trying to cope with changing weather patterns to sustain their way of life. To that end, Sadhana Forest has launched “Plant 4 India”, an initiative to help rural and tribal communities achieve long-term climate resilience and water and food security.
“I believe that people should join a group or a community interested in solving such problems in a constructive way by doing things and acting for the environment, and with like-minded people, no one will feel like quitting,” said Aviram.
To that end, the organisation has introduced Plant 4 India Fellows. The organisation will train local people in rural areas suffering from climate change in locally appropriate and low-cost reforestation and watershed management techniques.
One can apply for the fellowship here.
Serving for a cause
For the last 19 years, Aviram has been working tirelessly (“Seva”, as per Aviram) for almost 14 to 15 hours daily. “Not even for a single time have I thought about quitting. I think very well before committing to something, but once I commit, I stick to it,” said Aviram.
“When you believe in something and do it without thinking about the financial remuneration, you will never feel like giving up.”
“Not just me, the entire team of Sadhana Forest working worldwide willingly works towards numerous social causes. They are committed to the organisation’s values, which is our biggest strength,” he added.
For Aviram, the opening of a vegan gaushala (cowshed) is the most beautiful moment till now. His organisation rescues farm animals and helps them lead good lives, without milking them.
In his message to people, Aviram says individuals must concentrate on the smaller changes one can introduce in their daily lives. It can be anything from how people travel to the food they consume.
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This article was a real pleasure to read! Aviram, Yorit Rozin and the team at Sadhana Forest are doing such important work in the fight against climate change. Thank you for highlighting their efforts.