Achenyo Idachaba: How I turned a deadly plant into a thriving business | TED

翻译人员: Yan Yan 校对人员: 易帆 余

Welcome to Bayeku,

欢迎来到百耶库，

a riverine community in Ikorodu, Lagos --

拉各斯州伊科罗杜市 的一个河岸社区，

a vivid representation of several riverine communities across Nigeria,

这是尼日利亚各地 众多河岸社区的缩影。

communities whose waterways have been infested

这些社区的河道里

by an invasive aquatic weed;

被一种水草入侵泛滥成灾；

communities where economic livelihoods have been hampered:

这些社区的日常经济活动 因此受到阻碍：

fishing, marine transportation

捕鱼业，海洋运输，

and trading;

以及贸易；

communities where fish yields have diminished;

这些社区的鱼产量因此缩减；

communities where schoolchildren are unable to go to school

这些社区的学生因此 连续好几天，甚至好几周，

for days, sometimes weeks, on end.

都无法去上学。

Who would have thought that this plant

谁会想到，这种有着

with round leaves, inflated stems, and showy, lavender flowers

圆形叶子，饱满的茎， 和鲜艳淡紫色花朵的植物

would cause such havoc in these communities.

会给这些社区带来浩劫？

The plant is known as water hyacinth

这种植物就是水葫芦，

and its botanical name, Eichhornia crassipes.

学名是凤眼莲。

Interestingly, in Nigeria, the plant is also known by other names,

有趣的是，在尼日利亚， 这种植物还有着一些别称，

names associated with historical events,

有些与历史事件有关，

as well as myths.

有些则与神话有关。

In some places, the plant is called Babangida.

在一些地方，这种植物 被称为巴班吉达。

When you hear Babangida, you remember the military and military coups.

当你听到巴班吉达的时候， 你会想起军队和军事政变，

And you think: fear, restraint.

然后你会想到：恐惧，管制。

In parts of Nigeria in the Niger Delta, the plant is also known as Abiola.

在尼日利亚的尼日尔三角洲地区， 这种植物叫做阿比奥拉。

When you hear Abiola, you remember annulled elections

当你听到阿比奥拉的时候， 你会想到无效选举，

and you think: dashed hopes.

然后你会想到：破灭的希望。

In the southwestern part of Nigeria,

在尼日利亚的西南地区，

the plant is known as Gbe'borun.

这种植物被称为贝布鲁，

Gbe'borun is a Yoruba phrase

贝布鲁是约鲁巴语，

which translates to "gossip," or "talebearer."

意思是“流言”或“告密者”，

When you think of gossip, you think: rapid reproduction, destruction.

“流言”会让你想到 快速繁殖，毁灭。

And in the Igala-speaking part of Nigeria,

在尼日利亚的伊加拉语地区，

the plant is known as A Kp'iye Kp'oma,

这种植物被称为“阿比伊波玛”。

And when you hear that, you think of death.

听到这个词， 你会联想到死亡，

It literally translates to "death to mother and child."

它的字面意思就是 “母亲和孩子的死亡”。

I personally had my encounter with this plant in the year 2009.

2009年，我亲眼 目睹了这种植物。

It was shortly after I had relocated from the US to Nigeria.

那时我刚从美国搬回到 尼日利亚不久。

I'd quit my job in corporate America

我辞掉在美国的工作，

and decided to take this big leap of faith,

决定去实现一个伟大的理想。

a leap of faith that came out of a deep sense of conviction

这个理想源自于

that there was a lot of work to do in Nigeria

我深信在尼日利亚 的可持续发展方面

in the area of sustainable development.

仍有很大发展空间。

And so here I was in the year 2009,

所以在2009年的时候，

actually, at the end of 2009,

确切的说， 是在2009年年底。

in Lagos on the Third Mainland Bridge.

我来到了拉各斯 的第三大陆桥上。

And I looked to my left and saw this very arresting image.

我向左遥望， 看到触目惊心的一幕，

It was an image of fishing boats

我看到渔船被水葫芦

that had been hemmed in by dense mats of water hyacinth.

密密麻麻地包围起来。

And I was really pained by what I saw

我对眼前的景象 感到痛心疾首，

because I thought to myself,

因为我心里在想，

"These poor fisherfolk,

“这些可怜的渔民，

how are they going to go about their daily activities

在这种束缚下，

with these restrictions."

要如何维持日常生计呢？”

And then I thought, "There's got to be a better way."

然后我想， “一定有更好的办法。”

A win-win solution whereby the environment is taken care of

一定有一个两全其美的方案，

by the weeds being cleared out of the way

一方面通过清除水草 开通水路以保护环境。

and then this being turned into an economic benefit

一方面，

for the communities whose lives are impacted the most

为这些深受入侵杂草 困扰的社区

by the infestation of the weed.

带来经济效益。

That, I would say, was my spark moment.

可以说，那一刻， 我灵光一现。

And so I did further research to find out more

接着，我做了进一步研究

about the beneficial uses of this weed.

来找寻这些杂草更多的价值。

Out of the several, one struck me the most.

其中，有一个最吸引我。

It was the use of the plant for handicrafts.

那就是用植物来做手工艺品。

And I thought, "What a great idea."

我想，“这真是个好主意！”

Personally, I love handicrafts,

我本身就很喜欢手工艺品，

especially handicrafts that are woven around a story.

尤其是有故事底蕴 的手工艺品。

And so I thought, "This could be easily deployed within the communities

我发现，“这不需要任何专业技能

without the requirement of technical skills."

就能很顺利的在当地社区中推广。”

And I thought to myself, "Three simple steps to a mega solution."

我对自己说，“要实现这个宏大方案 只要三个简单的步骤。 ”

First step: Get out into the waterways and harvest the water hyacinth.

第一步，进入河道， 收割水葫芦。

That way, you create access.

这样，就开通了水道。

Secondly, you dry the water hyacinth stems.

第二步，晾干水葫芦的茎。

And thirdly, you weave the water hyacinth into products.

第三步，把水葫芦编织成工艺品。

The third step was a challenge.

第三步是一个挑战。

See, I'm a computer scientist by background

你看，我实际是个计算机科学家，

and not someone in the creative arts.

并非从事艺术创作的人。

And so I began my quest

因此我开始探索

to find out how I can learn how to weave.

如何才能学会编织。

And this quest took me to a community in Ibadan, where I lived,

而这个探索将我带到伊巴丹的 一个社区，也是我住的地方，

called Sabo.

萨博。

Sabo translates to "strangers' quarters."

萨博的意思是“陌生人的住所”。

And the community is predominantly made up of people

这个社区的居民

from the northern part of the country.

主要来自于尼日利亚北部。

So I literally took my dried weeds in hand,

毫不夸张的说， 我手捧着这堆晾干的水草，

there were several more of them,

事实上有好几束，

and went knocking from door to door to find out who could teach me

去挨家挨户敲门， 看谁能教我

how to weave these water hyacinth stems into ropes.

如何把这些水葫芦茎 编织成绳子。

And I was directed to the shed of Malam Yahaya.

有人指引我来到 玛兰•雅哈亚的小屋，

The problem, though, is that Malam Yahaya doesn't speak English

可是问题是， 玛兰•雅哈亚不会说英语，

and neither did I speak Hausa.

而我也不会说豪萨语。

But some little kids came to the rescue

所幸是有些小孩子 伸出了援手

and helped translate.

帮助我们翻译。

And that began my journey of learning how to weave

我就是这样开始了 学习编织的旅程，

and transform these dried water hyacinth stems

学会将这种晾干的水葫芦茎

into long ropes.

编成长绳。

With my long ropes in hand,

有了长绳之后，

I was now equipped to make products.

我现在就有能力 制作产品了。

And that was the beginning of partnerships.

这也开启了我的合作事业，

Working with rattan basket makers to come up with products.

和藤篮制作者合作， 一起创造产品。

So with this in hand, I felt confident

有它在手，我有信心

that I would be able to take this knowledge

能够将这些知识

back into the riverine communities

带回到河岸社区，

and help them to transform their adversity into prosperity.

帮助他们把灾难变为财富。

So taking these weeds and actually weaving them

把这些杂草编织成

into products that can be sold.

可以出售的产品。

So we have pens, we have tableware,

我们做了笔，餐具，

we have purses, we have tissue boxes.

做了钱袋，纸巾盒。

Thereby, helping the communities

借此也帮助当地社区

to see water hyacinth in a different light.

从另一个角度看待水葫芦，

Seeing water hyacinth as being valuable,

将其视为有价值的，

being aesthetic, being durable, tough, resilient.

有美感的，耐用的， 坚韧的，以及适应力强的。

Changing names, changing livelihoods.

改变名称，改变谋生之道。

From Gbe'borun, gossip,

从贝布鲁，意思是流言，

to Olusotan, storyteller.

到欧鲁苏坦， 意思是说故事的人。

And from A Kp'iye Kp'oma, which is "killer of mother and child,"

从阿比伊波玛， 意思是“杀死母亲和孩子的人”，

to Ya du j'ewn w'Iye kp'Oma,

变成雅度杰维波玛，

"provider of food for mother and child."

意思是“为母亲和孩子提供食物的人”。

And I'd like to end with a quote by Michael Margolis.

我想引用迈克尔•马戈利斯 的一段话作为结束。

He said, "If you want to learn about a culture, listen to the stories.

他说，“想了解一种文化， 去聆听他们的故事。

And if you want to change a culture, change the stories."

想改变一种文化， 去改写他们的故事。”

And so, from Makoko community, to Abobiri, to Ewoi,

所以，从马科科社区， 到阿博比利，到艾沃伊，

to Kolo, to Owahwa, Esaba,

再到柯洛，奥瓦瓦，伊沙巴，

we have changed the story.

我们已经改写了故事。

Thank you for listening.

感谢你们的聆听。

(Applause)

（掌声）