Twenty-seven years ago, Ronald Sakolsky raised $5,000 to help a woman combat desertification in Northwest China. Today, that act of kindness has grown into more than 50,000 trees. In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Sakolsky reflected on how a teaching exchange first brought him to China, how an encounter with an ordinary Chinese woman changed his perspective, and why he is looking forward to seeing her again after nearly three decades.