It was in 2000, Israeli citizen Aviram Rozin first visited India. Wanting to get lost in the forest and greenery in India, Rozin was pained and shocked to see the rapid deforestation across the country.

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Wanting to do something to protect the forests, Rozin along with his wife Yorit and daughter Osher moved to India in 2003.

They family bought some 70 acres of barren land in Auroville, Tamil Nadu and started slowly transforming it.

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With the help of local volunteers, the planted the barren land with seeds of endangered plant specious and edible plants.

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In the next 13 years they transformed the place into a a forest, teeming with life and greenery.

auroville

auroville

Today the 'Sadhana Forest' founded by the trio has developed into a bustling eco-friendly settlement with thatched houses, wind pump, solar powered LED lighting, compost toilets and vegan kitchen with energy efficient stoves.

Some 18000 indigenous trees have been planted so far on 70 acre mostly eroded land.

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Sadhana Forest

More than 150 young volunteers from all over the world live in the settlement at any given time planting trees, building bunds and experiencing a simple ecologically conscious life.

After tasting success in India, Rozin has taken his Sadhana Forest model to countries like Haiti and Kenya where he get the local community to grow forests.

Sadhana Forest

Sadhana Forest

The mission at first was to plant trees. Now the mission is also to support people in terms of growing food on trees. We are also supporting the learning and transformation of young people that come to volunteer – which are many. Sadhana Forest has evolved into something more than we expected – which is beautiful, said Rozin who calls the volunteers, his family.