Back in the 60's, the small town of Gehlaur in northern India was almost isolated. A 90-meter-tall mound made the access to schools, hospitals and jobs very difficult. A man from the area, Dashrath Manjhi, had to climb it every day to get to the farm where he worked. There was a dangerous road where accidents often happened. One day, his wife was injured on her way to bring Manjhi his lunch. It was then that he decided to sell his goats and buy some tools to build a better road.
Without giving up his job in the fields, Manjhi devoted his free time and many hours of sleep to burrow a hole in the mountain. Some time later, his wife became seriously ill and was unable to travel to the nearest city (75 km away), where the doctor was. The loss of his wife strengthened Manjhi’s resolve. Residents of the village began to give him food, and after leaving his job, this true regional hero finished building 100-meter-long and 10-meter-wide road after working on his own for 22 years, and using just hammers, crowbars and chisels.
Completed in 1982, the road still serves the purpose of turning the formerly difficult journey to schools and hospitals into a 5 km walk. If the determination and commitment of a single person can move a mountain, what could many hands and hearts accomplish together?
Source: rt.com
