Definition :
Service is doing something nice or helpful for someone else.

Summary:

Manjhi lives in a village that is separated from the next village by a mountain. This is inconvenient for all the people who live in Manji’s town - it’s more rural and doesn’t have some of the medical and other services the more developed village has.  Manjhi decides to “move the mountain!” He starts a project to cut a road through the mountain with simple tools.  After two decades Manjhi and helpers finish the task and the pass is open. The second resource has actual video footage of this inspirational project.

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Students are inspired from Manjhi’s example to think about ways they can help their own community or even a community that is far away and needs assistance. 

Guiding questions: 

1. Who is Manjhi and why do people in India celebrate his life?  
2. This story takes place in the country called India. Find India on a map. Do you live close to or far away from India? 
3. Manjhi was motivated to create a road that would link his village to the one on the other side of the mountain because his wife had an accident on its steep cliffs when she was on her way to the neighboring village hospital. Manjhi wasn’t able to prevent what happened to his wife but he did make life better for his neighbors. Why do you think he never gave up even though it was really hard? 
4. Was Manjhi rich or poor? Do you think he got paid for building the road? (No, he didn’t, he volunteered to do it) 
5. What kind of tools did Manjhi use to cut through the mountain? 
6. Did his people make fun of him at first? How do you know they changed their mind about him later on? 
7. Have you ever tried to dig a hole in the ground? What did you use to dig with, and was it hard or easy? 
8. Even though Manjhi didn’t get to go to school as much as you, do you think he was smart? Why or why not? 
9. There was a movie made about Manjhi, called “Manjhi, the Mountain Man”. Why do you think they made a movie about his life? 
10. Ask someone to help you find a community that could use your help. There are many ways for children your age to participate in helping communities around the world.