How I'm making bricks out of ashes and rubble in Gaza | Majd Mashharawi

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: JIAWEN ZHANG

Yes, it's dark.

是的，很暗。

I'm wondering how long we can all stand it

我想知道我們能堅持多久，

without picking up our phone and turning the flashlights on.

而不拿起手機打開手電筒。

Seconds?

幾秒鐘？

Minutes?

幾分鐘？

A whole hour?

整整一小時？

Don't worry, I'm not going to give you my whole speech in the dark.

別擔心，我沒打算 在黑暗中演講完全程。

But it's something I'm used to.

但這是我很習慣的。

For more than 10 years, I and two million people back home

超過十年的時間，

我和家鄉的兩百萬人，

have been living in darkness,

一直住在黑暗中，

locked between two borders

被關在兩條邊界之間，

that are nearly impossible to leave, literally,

幾乎是不可能離開，真的，

in an area that spans 25 miles long and about five miles wide.

那個區域大約 二十五英里長，五英里寬。

I am Palestinian, and I am from Gaza.

我是巴勒斯坦人，我來自加薩。

I grew up there and I still live there.

我在那裡長大，我仍然住在那裡。

In Gaza, we have a whole lot of nothing.

在加薩，我們幾乎什麼都沒有。

And I aim to create something from that nothing.

而我的目標是要從無中生有。

When a community is cut off from the world,

當一個社區與世界隔絕，

all that we need to do is ... what?

我們需要做的是什麼？

To think outside the box.

我們思考需要打破常規。

Way outside the box.

大幅度的遠離常規。

That thinking led me to two projects

那樣的思考讓我發起了兩項計畫，

to address two serious issues in my community.

用來解決我社區中 兩個嚴重的問題。

The need for building materials and the need for electricity and energy.

對建材的需求， 及對電力和能源的需求。

Two essential ingredients of life.

這兩項是生活中不可或缺的要素。

Both are in lack of supply in Gaza.

在加薩，兩者都很缺乏。

First, I'm not here ...

首先，我來這裡……

just to talk about the occupation we have back home.

不是談我們家鄉的就業狀況、

The siege, the wars, the bombs, the protests

封鎖、戰爭、炸彈、抗議，

or the death toll.

或死亡人數。

I am here because I wanted to show that we can live through it all.

我來這裡，是因為我想要展示 我們可以撐過這一切。

I am here because I wanted to make a change.

我來這裡，是因為我想要做改變。

I am here to tell you

我來這裡告訴各位，

that I am a statistic that cannot be ignored.

我是一個不能被忽略的統計數字。

In the 2014 war, thousands of houses were destroyed.

在 2014 年的戰爭中， 數千棟房子被摧毀。

Those houses were made from sunbaked stones and blocks.

那些房子是由日曬的 石頭和石塊做成的。

Those houses stood for decades and decades.

那些房子屹立了數十年。

Those houses were for my family, friends, neighbors,

那些房子中住的人 是我的家人、朋友、鄰居，

everyone I know.

我認識的所有人。

At that time, I asked myself a question:

那時，我問我自己一個問題：

What can I do for people?

我能為大家做什麼？

How can I help them?

我要如何協助他們？

I knew we weren't able to get cement, aggregate and sand

我知道我們無法取得水泥、

骨材和沙子，來重建 那些被戰爭摧毀的房屋。

to rebuild what the war destroyed.

But also, maybe we can use something from inside the community,

但，也許我們可以使用 社區裡面的東西，

something we already had.

我們已經有的東西。

I started to put things together.

我開始混合各種的東西。

First, paper as a filler, instead of the aggregate we import.

首先，用紙當填料， 取代我們進口的骨材。

But that did not work out.

但那並不成功。

What about using glass powder to replace part of the cement?

那麼用玻璃粉來取代 一部分的水泥呢 ？

But that failed, too.

但那也失敗了。

I guessed making building blocks out of mud would be a great idea.

我猜想，用泥巴做成泥塊 是個很棒的點子。

But unfortunately, it didn't work out.

但不幸的是，那也不成功。

During the process of burning the mud blocks,

在燒泥塊的過程中，

we had a huge amount of ashes.

我們有很大量的灰燼。

And I was like, "Why don't we use those ashes?"

我心想：「我們為什麼 不利用那些灰燼？」

The idea flashed in my mind.

我腦中閃過一個念頭。

"Let's use it and combine it with the rubble of the demolished houses

「咱們把它和破房子留下的 瓦礫碎石黏合起來，

and make building blocks out of it."

製做出建築磚頭。

After more than 150 failed experiments,

在超過一百五十次失敗的實驗，

and over six months of research,

及超過六個月的研究之後，

I actually made it.

我真的辦到了。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I created a building block

我創造出了一個空心磚，

out of the ashes and rubble of the demolished houses.

用的是灰燼及破房子的瓦礫碎石。

It's here, it came all the way with me.

它在這，我把它一路帶過來了。

Well, it came before me.

嗯，它比我早來。

So, it's lighter,

所以，它更輕，

it's cheaper, and it's stronger.

它更便宜，它也更穩固。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

This building block --

這塊空心磚——

of course, you ask yourself, "How did this girl do it?"

當然，你會自問： 「這個女孩怎麼做到的？」

It's not that hard, and it's not that easy.

並沒有那麼難，也沒有那麼簡單。

First, we collected rubble from all around the Gaza Strip.

首先，我們收集加薩 街頭上的瓦礫碎石。

Then we combined it with the ashes that came from the landfills.

接著我們把它們 和垃圾填埋場的灰燼結合。

When the recipe is done, it's time for baking.

當我們有了食譜之後， 就要開始烘焙了。

So we mold the blocks, as you can see in the photo,

我們用模子做磚塊， 就像你們在照片中看到的，

and we cure it using water steam.

然後我們再用水蒸汽處理。

I call the material "Green Cake,"

我稱這種材料為「綠蛋糕」，

and people now can use it not only to rebuild old houses,

現在，大家不只可以 用它來重建老房子，

but also to build new complete structures.

也可以建造完整的新建築物。

Green Cake so far has created jobs for more than 30 people.

目前，綠蛋糕已經為超過 三十人創造了就業機會。

And we were able to rebuild around 50 apartments,

我們因此能重建了 大約五十間公寓，

each one of them the size of a household almost for eight people.

每一間大約可容納八個人的家庭。

We also trained fresh graduates, female and male,

我們也訓練剛畢業的人，

男性和女性都有， 在這個社區這並不常見。

which is not very common in the community.

And we got several awards, locally and globally.

我們得了不少獎， 地方性的和全球性的都有。

This block is not just only a building block.

這個磚塊不只是一塊磚。

It changed the stereotype about women in Gaza

它改變了對加薩女人的刻板印象，

that stated this type of work is meant for men.

這類工作不僅男人可以做。

Education is the strongest weapon we have

教育是我們最強大的武器，

to fight for our freedom, decent life and future.

讓我們可以為自由、 體面生活，以及未來而戰。

My background helped me to do this block.

我的背景協助我完成這些磚塊。

I went to the Islamic University of Gaza, and I studied civil engineering,

我讀的是加薩的伊斯蘭大學， 主修土木工程，

where there was a one-to-six female-to-male ratio.

在土木系，女性 和男性的比例是一比六。

Everyone told me I would end up without a job.

大家都告訴我， 我最後會找不到工作。

I went for a major that's meant for men.

我選擇的主修科目 是男人的主修科目。

But their lack of encouragement did not deter me; it inspired me.

但是大家的不看好並沒有 讓我怯步，反而鼓舞了我。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

After this long journey with the block, and after two years,

結束這段漫長的 製磚之旅的兩年後，

what Gaza does need is not just building blocks.

加薩需要的並不只是磚塊。

We also need electricity, we need the energy.

我們也需要電力，我們需要能源。

I developed a new company called SunBox.

我開了一間新公司， 叫陽光盒子（SunBox）。

SunBox is a smart solar kit that we source from China,

陽光盒子是我們從中國 取得的智慧型太陽能組，

and we engineer it to fit the market need.

我們改造它，來配合市場需求。

It powers not only light, but also laptops, phones,

它不僅能供電給燈光， 還供電給手提電腦、

internet connection, a fan or a TV.

電話、網路連線、電扇，或電視。

We teach local vendors and technicians

我們教導當地的廠商以及技師，

to sell, install and provide customer services for people.

如何銷售、安裝， 提供客人售後服務。

We got the project off the ground

這個計畫案有個順利的開始，

by providing 15 families with solar energy.

我們提供太陽能給十五個家庭。

One of the solar units we installed in a refugee camp.

我們在一個難民營中 安裝了一個太陽能設備。

The next day I came to check what happened with the solar,

隔天，我去檢查太陽能運作的狀況，

and I found a whole neighborhood watching a football match

發現整個街坊的人都在 用我們的裝置看足球比賽。

using our device.

I was like, "Wow, that's going to create a huge impact in the community."

我心想：「哇，這對社區 會有很大的影響。」

That encouraged us to go to the second round

那件事鼓勵了我們繼續進行第二輪，

of bringing 200 units.

帶來兩百個設備。

But each unit costs around 350 dollars.

但每一個的成本 是大約三百五十美元。

And a Palestinian family can't afford the 350 dollars.

巴勒斯坦家庭 負擔不起三百五十美元。

So we had to think, again, outside the box:

所以我們得再次跳脫常規思考：

How can we make this happen?

我們要如何實現它？

If a whole neighborhood can watch a football match using one device,

如果整個街坊可以 用一個裝置來看足球比賽，

it means two, three and four families can share one device

那就表示兩個、三個， 甚至四個家庭可以共享一個裝置，

and enjoy the electricity.

享用電力。

What we did is, we created a new business model

我們的做法是創造了 一個新的商業模型，

called "sharing is caring."

叫做「分享就是關心」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The sharing is caring business model

「分享就是關心」商業模型，

says two families share one unit, three families share one unit,

就是讓兩個、三個家庭 共享一個設備，

and they split the cost, so they can afford paying for it.

成本由他們來分攤， 讓他們能負擔得起。

Well, the idea caught on.

這個點子流行起來。

I didn't expect that, but it just happened.

我們沒預期到，但就發生了。

In less than two weeks,

不到兩週，

we were able to provide over 200 people with electricity.

我們提供了電力給兩百個人。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And the question here: How did the idea catch on?

問題是：這個點子怎麼會流行起來？

We went to community centers --

我們去了社區中心——

你們知道那些地方是什麼人用的嗎？

those are places, you know for whom?

Only for men.

只有男人。

So it was so weird for a woman to go there.

所以女人去那裡是很奇怪的事。

And I told them, "We have a great idea.

我告訴他們：「我們有個好點子。

We will give you electricity,

我們會給你們電力， 你們告訴我誰需要電力。」

you give us people who need this electricity."

Now, families are approaching us from all around the Gaza Strip.

現在，分布在加薩街頭 各地的家庭都來找我們。

I received a phone call from the team this morning, saying,

今天早上我接到團隊 打來的一通電話，說：

"Majd, please, we are under pressure, we work 16 hours a day,

「瑪吉，拜託，我們壓力很大， 我們一天要工作十六小時，

we will not be able to work like this.

我們不能像這樣做下去。

Families are calling us every second. They want solar energy."

每秒鐘都有家庭打電話給我們。 他們想要太陽能。」

Muna, from one of the families we installed the solar unit for,

穆娜是其中一個使用我們安裝的 太陽能設備的家庭成員，

she told me, "You know, Majd,

她告訴我：「你知道嗎，瑪吉，

I've never imagined I will control something in my life.

我從來沒有想過 我能在人生中掌控什麼。

Now I can control my source of energy.

現在我可以掌控我的能源。

I feel so special."

我感覺好特別。」

What you take for granted is a privilege for others.

你們認為理所當然的東西， 對其他人來說卻是種特權。

People like Muna.

對像穆娜這樣的人，

She doesn't want to fight.

她不想要鬥爭，

She doesn't want to stay in a bad life.

她不想要繼續過糟糕的生活，

She's only looking for a better life.

她只是在尋求更好的生活。

Our vision, or I would say, everyone's vision in Gaza --

我們的遠景，或者，我會說是 加薩裡每個人的遠景——

which I am very privileged to represent the people back home --

我非常榮幸能夠代表家鄉的人——

is to have a good life, a future.

就是要有一個更好的生活和未來。

We need to build the infrastructure of hope.

我們需要建造希望的基礎建設。

We want to tell them it's possible to happen,

我們想要告訴他們， 這是有可能成真的，

it's possible to be treated as a human being.

是有可能被當成人類來對待的。

I don't have to cross four borders to come here.

我不需要越過 四條邊界才能到這裡。

I can just go to the airport,

我可以直接去機場，

see the people outside,

看看外面的人，

see what the world looks like.

看看世界是什麼樣子的。

Thank you so much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）