Welcome to Bayeku, a riverine community in Ikorodu, Lagos -- a vivid representation of several riverine communities across Nigeria, communities whose waterways have been infested by an invasive aquatic weed; communities where economic livelihoods have been hampered: fishing, marine transportation and trading; communities where fish yields have diminished; communities where schoolchildren are unable to go to school for days, sometimes weeks, on end. Who would have thought that this plant with round leaves, inflated stems, and showy, lavender flowers would cause such havoc in these communities.
歡迎來到百耶庫, 這個河岸社區位於 拉各斯州的伊科羅杜, 是奈及利亞各地 眾多河岸社區的鮮明代表。 這些社區的水道 被一種有侵略性的野生水草侵擾。 這些社區的日常經濟活動都被干擾: 捕魚、海洋運輸 以至貿易; 這些社區的魚獲都已減少; 這些社區的孩童不能上學, 連續數天甚至數星期。 有誰料到這樣的植物── 長著圓形葉子、飽滿的莖 和鮮豔淡紫色的花朵 竟就會為這些社區帶來了禍害。
The plant is known as water hyacinth and its botanical name, Eichhornia crassipes. Interestingly, in Nigeria, the plant is also known by other names, names associated with historical events, as well as myths. In some places, the plant is called Babangida. When you hear Babangida, you remember the military and military coups. And you think: fear, restraint. In parts of Nigeria in the Niger Delta, the plant is also known as Abiola. When you hear Abiola, you remember annulled elections and you think: dashed hopes. In the southwestern part of Nigeria, the plant is known as Gbe'borun. Gbe'borun is a Yoruba phrase which translates to "gossip," or "talebearer." When you think of gossip, you think: rapid reproduction, destruction. And in the Igala-speaking part of Nigeria, the plant is known as A Kp'iye Kp'oma, And when you hear that, you think of death. It literally translates to "death to mother and child."
這種植物是布袋蓮, 其學名為鳳眼藍。 有趣的是,在奈及利亞, 這種植物亦有好幾種其他名號, 有些與歷史事件有關, 有些則是神話。 在某些地方,這種植物稱為「巴班基達」, 聽到巴班基達這個名稱, 你會記起軍隊和軍事政變, 從而想到:害怕、限制。 在奈及利亞的奈及利亞三角洲, 這種植物亦被稱為「阿比奥拉」。 聽到阿比奥拉這個名稱, 你會記起選舉無效, 從而想到:破碎的希望。 在奈及利亞的西北部, 這種植物另被稱為「貝布魯」, 「貝布魯」是約魯巴的詞彙, 意思是「流言蜚語」或「告密者」。 說到流言蜚語, 你會想起快速繁殖和破壞。 在奈及利亞說伊加拉語的地區, 這種植物被稱為「阿匹耶波瑪」, 聽到這個詞,你會想到死亡, 字面上直譯就是「母親和孩子之歿」。
I personally had my encounter with this plant in the year 2009. It was shortly after I had relocated from the US to Nigeria. I'd quit my job in corporate America and decided to take this big leap of faith, a leap of faith that came out of a deep sense of conviction that there was a lot of work to do in Nigeria in the area of sustainable development. And so here I was in the year 2009, actually, at the end of 2009, in Lagos on the Third Mainland Bridge.
我自己是在 2009 年遇上這植物的。 那時候我剛從美國搬回奈及利亞不久。 我辭掉美國的工作, 決定實踐心中的一種信念, 那種信念源自心底 確信在奈及利亞的永續發展方面, 尚需很多努力。 於是我在 2009 年, 更確切是在 2009 年底, 在連接拉哥斯和兩邊大陸的 第三大陸橋。
And I looked to my left and saw this very arresting image. It was an image of fishing boats that had been hemmed in by dense mats of water hyacinth. And I was really pained by what I saw because I thought to myself, "These poor fisherfolk, how are they going to go about their daily activities with these restrictions." And then I thought, "There's got to be a better way." A win-win solution whereby the environment is taken care of by the weeds being cleared out of the way and then this being turned into an economic benefit for the communities whose lives are impacted the most by the infestation of the weed. That, I would say, was my spark moment.
我看到左邊有一幕引人注目的景象, 那景象是捕魚的船 都被布袋蓮交織得動彈不得。 我看到這景象很痛心, 因為我心想: 「這班可憐的漁夫, 他們的生財工具被布袋蓮這樣子困著 該怎麼討生活。」 於是我想:「總是有更好的點子吧。」 總可以有一個雙贏的方案, 一方面保護環境, 移除這些水草開通了水路。 另一方面,借此又可以帶來經濟效用, 裨益那些最受困於 這類水草繁殖的社區。 我會說,那一刻我靈光一閃。
And so I did further research to find out more about the beneficial uses of this weed. Out of the several, one struck me the most. It was the use of the plant for handicrafts. And I thought, "What a great idea." Personally, I love handicrafts, especially handicrafts that are woven around a story. And so I thought, "This could be easily deployed within the communities without the requirement of technical skills." And I thought to myself, "Three simple steps to a mega solution."
所以我再加緊做功課, 希望從中發掘出這類水草的用處。 發掘出來的幾項, 其中有一項最令我傾倒。 那就是把這種植物化為手工藝品。 我想:「那真是很棒的點子。」 我自己很喜愛手工藝品, 尤其是蘊藏故事的手工藝品。 我再想:「其實很容易就可以 把這個想法落實在社區裡, 因為不需要特別的技巧。」 我又跟自己說: 「實踐這個宏大方案有三步。」
First step: Get out into the waterways and harvest the water hyacinth. That way, you create access.
第一步:走到水道裡, 把水草都收割起來。 如此,就開通了水道。
Secondly, you dry the water hyacinth stems.
第二步,把水草莖晾乾。
And thirdly, you weave the water hyacinth into products.
第三步,把水草織成產品。
The third step was a challenge. See, I'm a computer scientist by background and not someone in the creative arts. And so I began my quest to find out how I can learn how to weave.
第三步滿是一個挑戰。 因為我其實是學電腦科學的, 並不是創意工藝的一員。 所以我展開了搜索之旅, 看看怎樣學會編織。
And this quest took me to a community in Ibadan, where I lived, called Sabo. Sabo translates to "strangers' quarters." And the community is predominantly made up of people from the northern part of the country. So I literally took my dried weeds in hand, there were several more of them, and went knocking from door to door to find out who could teach me how to weave these water hyacinth stems into ropes. And I was directed to the shed of Malam Yahaya. The problem, though, is that Malam Yahaya doesn't speak English and neither did I speak Hausa. But some little kids came to the rescue and helped translate. And that began my journey of learning how to weave and transform these dried water hyacinth stems into long ropes.
這趟的搜索之旅帶我來到 我住的伊巴丹地區中的社區: 莎寶。 莎寶譯出來是「陌生人的叢居」。 這個社區主要的居民 來自這個國家的北部。 我是真的捧著這堆晾乾了的水草, 事實上有好幾束, 逐家逐戶地拜訪, 希望找到能教我 把布袋蓮的莖編織成繩索的人。 有人要我到瑪蘭雅雅的邊棚, 問題是,瑪蘭雅雅不會說英語, 而我也不會說豪撒語。 不過小孩們成了救星, 幫忙翻譯。 我就是這樣開始了學習編織的旅程, 學會將晾乾了的水草莖 編織成為長長的繩索。
With my long ropes in hand, I was now equipped to make products. And that was the beginning of partnerships. Working with rattan basket makers to come up with products. So with this in hand, I felt confident that I would be able to take this knowledge back into the riverine communities and help them to transform their adversity into prosperity. So taking these weeds and actually weaving them into products that can be sold. So we have pens, we have tableware, we have purses, we have tissue boxes. Thereby, helping the communities to see water hyacinth in a different light. Seeing water hyacinth as being valuable, being aesthetic, being durable, tough, resilient. Changing names, changing livelihoods.
手上握著長長的繩索, 我就能夠將之化為產品。 從而展開了搭檔的方向。 與藤籃的生產者搭檔研發產品。 有這個在手,我有信心 可以把這技能 帶到社區裡, 好幫助他們把逆境化為繁盛。 於是我們把這些水草編織起來 成為可以銷售的產品。 可以看到我們有筆、餐具, 我們有錢包、面紙盒。 這樣一來,幫助了社區 從另一個角度去了解布袋蓮。 了解到布袋蓮可以有價值, 可以有美感、耐用、堅實而有韌力。 改變了名號,改變了生活。
From Gbe'borun, gossip, to Olusotan, storyteller. And from A Kp'iye Kp'oma, which is "killer of mother and child," to Ya du j'ewn w'Iye kp'Oma, "provider of food for mother and child."
從「貝布魯」:流言蜚語, 變成了「歐魯蘇坦」:說故事者。 從「阿匹耶波瑪」:弒母子的殺手, 變成了「雅度節耶波瑪」: 餵養母子者。
And I'd like to end with a quote by Michael Margolis. He said, "If you want to learn about a culture, listen to the stories. And if you want to change a culture, change the stories."
最後,我想引用麥可.馬哥拉斯的 一句話作結。 他說:「如果你想學懂一種文化, 聆聽他們的故事。 如果你想改變一種文化, 就改變他們的故事。」
And so, from Makoko community, to Abobiri, to Ewoi, to Kolo, to Owahwa, Esaba, we have changed the story.
所以,從瑪科科社區, 到亞博畢瑞,到耶握依, 再到柯洛、奧瓦瓦、艾沙巴社區, 我們都改變了故事。
Thank you for listening.
謝謝聆聽。
(Applause)
(掌聲)