This post is a part of Neer, a collaborative project by DCB Bank and Chaaipani to bring out stories of individuals and initiatives that are working hard and smart to save water.
Typically in Asian cultures, the birth of a girl is considered an unfortunate responsibility because of the dowry system that puts financial stress on the parents’ future. For this reason, daughters were never as celebrated as sons.
But in one village in India, the residents celebrate the birth with a unique ritual of planting one hundred and eleven fruit trees.
The village’s former leader, Shyam Sundar Palawal, first started the practice in 2006 to honor the death of his daughter Kiran. Wanting to ensure the future protection and care of female children in the village, he launched a tradition that would not only enhance the local environment but also raise money for the girl’s family. The noble custom has endured for almost a decade.
In order to make sure that the young ladies are always provided for, the villagers come together to raise 30,000 rupees ($480) to set aside as her fund for the next twenty years. The parents of the child then reciprocate the gesture by signing an oath that their daughter will not be married until she has reached the age of 18 and received an education.
These incredible actions serve as more than just hope for the future of gender equality in India. Planting the fruit trees has ensured that resources will be available for the expanding population of the village.
From one man’s compassion, more than a quarter of a million trees have been planted.
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