评论
打印
We used to plant all of our crops by the start of the year,
过去，我们年初就开始种粮食，
and we didn't get anything at all from our farms because we didn't have enough rainfall.
但往往是颗粒无收，因为雨水不够多。
So it is the sisal that is the best crop that can withstand the drought.
所以，剑麻这种耐干旱的作物就成了最好的种植对象。
Welcome to my workshop.
欢迎来到我的作坊。
I'm called Alex Odundo, and I'm an innovator of simple agricultural machines.
我是Alex Odundo，我发明了一个简单的农具。
According to the UN, Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change,
据联合国资料，非洲是最容易受到气候变化影响的大洲之一，
due to it's poverty levels, scarce water sources, and rain-fed farmland.
因为这里极度贫困，水资源匮乏，农田全靠雨养。
Farmers here in Kenya are being forced to look for new, more drought-resistant options to grow when traditional crops fail.
传统作物歉收，肯尼亚的农民不得不转向其他耐旱性更强的作物。
This is where sisal comes in.
剑麻由此成为肯尼亚人民的新选择。
Sisal is built for harsher climates.
剑麻天生就是为严酷的气候而生的作物。
Under it's green exterior are strong fibers that are useful in making all sorts of things.
剑麻碧绿的外表下有着既坚韧又应用极广的纤维。
There's just one problem.
只是有一个问题。
You can see the initial stages are very labor intensive.
看得出来，剑麻的初加工是非常消耗劳力的。
So this takes a long time.
用这种方法加工耗时很长。
Because my mother used to do this and she could only get a little fiber throughout the day.
我妈妈过去就是这么做的，一整天也收不了多少麻。
She was selling the product to buy us some school books, uniforms, buy us food.
那时她就是靠卖麻给我们买课本，买校服，买吃的。
As a young boy, I liked science.
小时候我就很喜欢科学。
I promised my mother that one day I will give you a machine that is going to help you process much more fiber.
我曾经信誓旦旦地跟我妈妈说，我一定会给她一个能帮她抽更多的麻的机器。
Building that machine took a long time.
发明这个机器花了我很长时间。
In that journey, I can remember eight prototypes, and the ninth one is the one that worked.
我记得我之前弄了8个模型，真正能用的是第九个。
This is the Sisal Decorticator.
这个就是剑麻脱渣机。
This was Alex's first invention. It can strip sisal fibers in seconds.
这个是Alex的首次发明，用这个机器剥剑麻纤维只要几秒钟。
These fibers can be sold for 20 shillings per kilo.
这些纤维每公斤可以卖20先令。
But this wasn't enough for Alex.
但对Alex并不满足于这一项发明。
This is the Sisal Twinner.
这个是剑麻双绞机
This machine turns the fibers into rope, which adds value of almost 180%.
这个机器能够把纤维加工成绳，使纤维价值提高了将近1.8倍。
The rope can be used to make a variety of items, like bags and mats.
加工出来的绳子有很多用途，比如编织成包或地毯。
So far, I've sold a total, it's more than 100 machines.
到目前为止我已经卖出了100多台机器。
When they buy machines from me, I encourage them to plant more sisal.
当有人来跟我买机器的时候我就会鼓励他们多种剑麻。
At least one acre, so that if they fail to get those other crops, then they are able to get therir finances from the sisal plant.
少说一英亩（约0.4公顷），这样要是其他作物歉收，他们也能靠剑麻补贴家用。
I can not give them a handout everyday.
我不能每天都救济他们。
But if I teach them something that is going to help them in their entire lives,
但我如果教他们一些能够让他们终身受益的东西，
then I think that will be very important for me.
我觉得这个才是我在乎的。
And that's why I think sisal is one of the things that I can take to them.
这也是为什么我要介绍他们剑麻之类的作物的原因。
And if they buy the idea, then I believe their life will not remain the same agaain.
如果他们接受了我的建议，我相信他们的生活一定会有所改变。
We used to plant all of our crops by the start of the year,
过去，我们年初就开始种粮食，
and we didn't get anything at all from our farms because we didn't have enough rainfall.
但往往是颗粒无收，因为雨水不够多。
So it is the sisal that is the best crop that can withstand the drought.
所以，剑麻这种耐干旱的作物就成了最好的种植对象。
Welcome to my workshop.
欢迎来到我的作坊。
I'm called Alex Odundo, and I'm an innovator of simple agricultural machines.
我是Alex Odundo，我发明了一个简单的农具。
According to the UN, Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change,
据联合国资料，非洲是最容易受到气候变化影响的大洲之一，
due to it's poverty levels, scarce water sources, and rain-fed farmland.
因为这里极度贫困，水资源匮乏，农田全靠雨养。
Farmers here in Kenya are being forced to look for new, more drought-resistant options to grow when traditional crops fail.
传统作物歉收，肯尼亚的农民不得不转向其他耐旱性更强的作物。
This is where sisal comes in.
剑麻由此成为肯尼亚人民的新选择。
Sisal is built for harsher climates.
剑麻天生就是为严酷的气候而生的作物。
Under it's green exterior are strong fibers that are useful in making all sorts of things.
剑麻碧绿的外表下有着既坚韧又应用极广的纤维。
There's just one problem.
只是有一个问题。
You can see the initial stages are very labor intensive.
看得出来，剑麻的初加工是非常消耗劳力的。
So this takes a long time.
用这种方法加工耗时很长。
Because my mother used to do this and she could only get a little fiber throughout the day.
我妈妈过去就是这么做的，一整天也收不了多少麻。
She was selling the product to buy us some school books, uniforms, buy us food.
那时她就是靠卖麻给我们买课本，买校服，买吃的。
As a young boy, I liked science.
小时候我就很喜欢科学。
I promised my mother that one day I will give you a machine that is going to help you process much more fiber.
我曾经信誓旦旦地跟我妈妈说，我一定会给她一个能帮她抽更多的麻的机器。
Building that machine took a long time.
发明这个机器花了我很长时间。
In that journey, I can remember eight prototypes, and the ninth one is the one that worked.
我记得我之前弄了8个模型，真正能用的是第九个。
This is the Sisal Decorticator.
这个就是剑麻脱渣机。
This was Alex's first invention. It can strip sisal fibers in seconds.
这个是Alex的首次发明，用这个机器剥剑麻纤维只要几秒钟。
These fibers can be sold for 20 shillings per kilo.
这些纤维每公斤可以卖20先令。
But this wasn't enough for Alex.
但对Alex并不满足于这一项发明。
This is the Sisal Twinner.
这个是剑麻双绞机
This machine turns the fibers into rope, which adds value of almost 180%.
这个机器能够把纤维加工成绳，使纤维价值提高了将近1.8倍。
The rope can be used to make a variety of items, like bags and mats.
加工出来的绳子有很多用途，比如编织成包或地毯。
So far, I've sold a total, it's more than 100 machines.
到目前为止我已经卖出了100多台机器。
When they buy machines from me, I encourage them to plant more sisal.
当有人来跟我买机器的时候我就会鼓励他们多种剑麻。
At least one acre, so that if they fail to get those other crops, then they are able to get therir finances from the sisal plant.
少说一英亩（约0.4公顷），这样要是其他作物歉收，他们也能靠剑麻补贴家用。
I can not give them a handout everyday.
我不能每天都救济他们。
But if I teach them something that is going to help them in their entire lives,
但我如果教他们一些能够让他们终身受益的东西，
then I think that will be very important for me.
我觉得这个才是我在乎的。
And that's why I think sisal is one of the things that I can take to them.
这也是为什么我要介绍他们剑麻之类的作物的原因。
And if they buy the idea, then I believe their life will not remain the same agaain.
如果他们接受了我的建议，我相信他们的生活一定会有所改变。
