声之形

American teacher revisits land where forest grown from $5,000 donation in 1999_我的网站

安娜情欲史

一 |

    Yin Yunzhen introduces to Sakolsky the harvest from the once-barren wasteland. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT
On Monday afternoon, American teacher Ronald Sakolsky visited the homeland of Chinese desert fighter Yin Yuzhen in Uxin Banner of Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This was a place the American man had visited in 2000 and it has completely changed since then.
In 1999, Sakolsky, a teacher in a China-US education exchange program, was touched by a report on Yin and her husband's afforestation efforts in the harsh wilderness of Mu Us Desert, and raised $5,000 to support her green cause. During that visit, they took pictures - in front of the sunken pit where the Yin couple once resided and in the barren land with a finger-thin sapling they had just planted against a backdrop of dust and bare earth.
What has the $5,000 changed?
On Monday, they came to the Sakolsky forest - a permanent tribute honoring Sakolsky's early contribution to the region's ecological revival - and replicated the vintage pictures, standing in front of a pit that has long been abandoned and beside a newly planted sapling. This time, however, there are bushes and trees in the background.
This contrast not only witnessed their friendship across time and the Pacific Ocean, but also showcased a promise Yin has kept for 27 years and a green dream that has been made possible through generations of joint unwavering efforts from Yin, her husband and countless other sand fighters.
Homecoming with family cooking

Yin hosted Sakolsky on Monday at her home, filling the air with the aroma of home-cooked meals during their long-awaited reunion. Watermelons were served along with other fresh fruits and vegetables, all harvested locally. Yin told the Global Times earlier that she learned the English word "more" to persuade him to eat more.
In 1999, Yin had few options for showing her hospitality, so she cooked a bowl of plain noodles for Sakolsky. Now, the harsh wasteland has transformed into a vibrant green oasis, thanks to unwavering afforestation efforts.
In the courtyard, the Global Times reporter saw Yin grinning from ear to ear with pride as she introduced the produce from the farmland - green pepper longer than a palm, a bottle gourd even bigger than Yin's head, and bags of foxtail millet packaged with the assistance of Yin's grandchildren, who are proud of the family's generations of commitment to green causes.
During a tour of Yin's home, Sakolsky was impressed by the beautiful house with its green courtyard, saying "You deserve every centimeter of this house." Throughout the visit, he repeatedly praised Yin's hands, which the desert fighter and model worker used to change both the land and her own life through arduous work.
The $5,000 Sakolsky donated in 1999 was equivalent to three years' income for Yin's entire family at the time. Today, that money has grown into more than 50,000 trees.
But Yin's journey did not stop there. Over the following decades, with the support of China's growing ecological restoration policies — including subsidies for afforestation and compensation for forest managers — she transformed the barren land into a productive family forest farm. Her success has inspired many others in the region to take up tree planting and sand control, transforming what was once a desperate struggle into a sustainable livelihood.
From the sandy hollow where the Yin couple lived in in 1985 and the earth hut they resided in until 1993, to the solid brick house Sakolsky saw when he last visited, and the two-story house the big family now lives in, the change in living environment is a clear example of ecological dividends.
Uxin Banner lies in the heartland of the Mu Us Desert. The desertification rate was over 90 percent in the 1950s and forestation coverage was merely 7.2 percent as of 1980. Now, the forestation rate has increased to 33 percent, while plantation coverage has expanded to 85 percent, per official data.
Sakolsky and Yin enjoy watermelons and other fruits at Yin's home. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT

    Sakolsky and Yin enjoy watermelons and other fruits at Yin's home. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT
Carry on the greenness, kindness
This miracle would have been impossible without numerous people like Yin, long-term systematic planning and scientific governance.
Chen Ziliang, an expert from the local forestry and grassland bureau, said that Mu Us Desert's sand‑control journey has evolved from collective afforestation to contract desert‑reclamation, moving beyond the simple goal of "keeping trees alive" to restoring vegetation based on water‑resource conditions.
Putting the idea of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into practice, Uxin Banner no longer views "greenness" and "growth" as an either‑or proposition. On restored sandy lands, the under‑forest economy, eco‑agriculture and eco‑tourism have flourished. Sand‑fixing shrubs are now processed into animal feed and biomass fuel, and local authorities are exploring photovoltaic‑powered desert control, the Global Times learned.
Sand control is no longer just about keeping sand away; it's a development approach that guarantees a greener and better living environment alongside a booming economy and increasing incomes.
On Monday afternoon, when Sakolsky finally stepped into the forest named after him, this American teacher witnessed the Chinese woman's perseverance and commitment to her promises. The $5,000 donated without expectations has grown into a thriving forest of around 50,000 trees.
"A promise is a promise. Ms. Yin fulfilled her promise," Sakolsky said. After 27 years, the wasteland is green, and Sakolsky and Yin are "brother and sister."
"This is the answer to how we guide young people: We must teach them love and perseverance. We need to show young people photos of Ms. Yin planting trees, digging the soil with her bare hands," Sakolsky remarked while packing a jar of sand. He said he planned to bring it back to the US, telling his grandchildren it is not just a jar of sand, but "a jar of love."
Sakolsky told the Global Times earlier that the younger generation only knows about the dust-covered landscape from photos and stories of the elderly. It is important to tell them how the greenness is achieved, and how every single person can contribute to making an extensive forest in the harshest environment.
"I see where China and America can work together. I see it, so I will not quit. She [Yin] never quit. 'Quit' is not in her vocabulary," Sakolsky said with emotion on Monday.
"Chinese and Americans can be family. We can get over the differences if we focus on the similarities... If we focus on our similarities and not our differences, we can solve the problems."
At the end of Monday's schedule, Yin and Sakolsky planted another sapling together, just as they did about three decades ago, but in a completely different landscape.
This new sapling carries on the story of not only greenness through generations of joint efforts, but also kindness across the Pacific Ocean.
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二 | 她说：“我很擅长制作动画，正从事一个项目，我从中赚的钱几乎与我的主要工作一样多，且工作时间更短，这还有助于磨炼我的技能并增加我的收入来源。”她正在兼职：在拥有全职工作的同时，向另一个雇主出售其技能。

三 | 她并不认为其中有任何错误，她的公司要求她每周工作约40小时，只要诚实照做，她就自认为没理由不让她从事一项副业。然而，并非每个人都如此习以为常。近来，印度科技咨询公司威普罗解聘300名为竞争对手从事第二职业的员工，该公司董事长普雷姆吉强烈抨击科技行业的兼职行为，“这是赤裸裸的欺骗。”尽管该现象也存在于其他国家，但这在印度引发激烈争议，尤其是在科技行业。班加罗尔就业法专家戈帕拉克里希南表示，尽管兼职在印度并非新鲜事，但它在新冠肺炎疫情后变得更泛滥，因为员工开始远程工作。

四 | 同时，雇主减少或放松监督，为员工从事另一份工作提供更多时间和网络带宽。威普罗的解聘举动为该话题带来更多声音：一些公司严厉警告员工不要为其他企业工作，或者试图对员工加强监督。但其他企业领导人正采取宽松路线，声称年轻员工只是努力进取。显而易见的是，随着科技行业为雄心勃勃的年轻员工开辟更多出售其技能的增收途径，公司需要考虑如何以一种双方都能理解的方式规范员工的行为。兼职是印度科技行业的公开秘密。调查发现，近65%的IT员工表示，他们或他们认识的人在居家办公期间兼职或寻求兼职机会。

五 | 拥有大量员工的IT公司难以在其职工中营造主人翁意识和归属感。改善经济条件往往需要来自不止一份工作的报酬。印度“IT之都”班加罗尔提供的薪酬相对较高，但生活成本也是如此。除增收外，许多员工也希望提高技能或追寻激情。

六 | 28岁的拉詹是当地某大软件公司的全职员工，但他也有自己的YouTube频道并通过广告赚钱。他说：“新冠肺炎疫情使我意识到，人们必须未雨绸缪，拥有可用以缓冲的储蓄。

七 | ”就业法专家戈帕拉克里希南表示，从法律上看，情况很复杂，员工能否从事兼职或副业，主要取决于与主要雇主的雇佣合同。在她看来，一些公司确实允许员工按事先协议从事副业或与爱好有关的项目，前提是无利益冲突。IT员工组织NITES总裁萨卢加指出，多位印度科技大亨的创业都始于副业。印度电子和信息技术国务部长拉吉夫·钱德拉塞卡也站了出来，他指出年轻员工渴望将其技能变现并建立经济稳定性。显然，无论有多少不同观点，这场争论都不会消失。蒂雅发现，在新冠肺炎疫情期间，很容易保留两份工作，但她很快就将面临被重新召回办公室的现实。