On the afternoon of April 10th, 2025, the quiet hills of Domtynrong Village were broken by the roar of flames.

At around 2:30 p.m., a fire broke out at the Domphotsiej Reisohlwai Plantation Plot, a cherished piece of land planted with young saplings just the year before. Smoke curled into the sky, and the crackling of fire spread across the hillside. The hard work—months of effort and dreams—was on the brink of being swallowed by flames.

There were no adults nearby, no fire engines—just smoke, heat, and growing fear.

But out of that fear stepped two unlikely heroes: Bitarsing K. Dewsaw and Bashanbor K. Dewsaw, both just nine years old, students of Class II at Momen Roy Upper Primary School in Phlangkynshi.

From their homes nearby, the boys saw the smoke and knew something was wrong. Without waiting for help or thinking of their own safety, they ran toward the fire. Armed with nothing but their courage and a few sticks they found along the way, they began to fight back.

For over an hour, they battled the blaze—faces flushed from the heat, eyes stinging with smoke, but hearts full of determination. They did not run or give up—and against all odds, they won.

Thanks to their quick action, the fire was brought under control. The plantation was saved.

And this was no ordinary plantation.

The Domphotsiej Reisohlwai Plot had been developed under the Project for Community-Based Forest Management and Livelihood Improvement in Meghalaya (MegLIFE Project)—an ambitious initiative to restore degraded landscapes, recharge water sources, and improve rural livelihoods through community-driven natural resource management, financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This plot was part of that vision—nurtured by the village with care, meant to grow into a legacy of green cover and sustainability.

Their actions came from a deep sense of care for the land they had grown up around. But as admirable as their instinct was, it also reminded us how dangerous fire can be and how quickly children can find themselves at risk when adults or systems are not close at hand.

Their story will be remembered not just for their courage, but for the quiet warning it carries: that while plantations can be regrown, children must be protected.

They didn’t act for praise or reward, but because they believed something worth saving was slipping away.

In doing so, they reminded us that sometimes, the strongest hearts come in the smallest forms.