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The Miraculous Device That Saved My Farm — and Changed My Life | Josephine Waweru | TED

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The Miraculous Device That Saved My Farm — and Changed My Life | Josephine Waweru | TED

TED 01.08.2025 69 460 просмотров 2 301 лайков обн. 18.02.2026

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Exhausted from carrying water up a hill to keep her small farm in Kenya thriving, Josephine Waweru received an unexpected call that offered a nearly unbelievable solution. She shares how one simple device allowed her crops (and her dreams) to flourish — and offers a glimmer of hope in the face of growing climate uncertainty. (Recorded at TED Countdown Summit 2025 on June 16, 2025) Countdown is TED's global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in the race to a zero-carbon world. Get involved at https://countdown.ted.com Join us in person at a TED conference: https://tedtalks.social/events Become a TED Member to support our mission: https://ted.com/membership Subscribe to a TED newsletter: https://ted.com/newsletters Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world's leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit https://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. Watch more: https://go.ted.com/josephinewaweru https://youtu.be/MWjm_zvdYdI TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com #TED #TEDTalks #ClimateChange

Оглавление (16 сегментов)

0:00 Intro 28 сл.
0:18 A believer in innovation 48 сл.
0:40 The water crisis 39 сл.
0:57 My story 70 сл.
1:30 My biggest challenge 100 сл.
2:17 Moving on 70 сл.
2:46 Rains 40 сл.
3:05 The next morning 76 сл.
3:37 A real solution 94 сл.
4:15 Installing the pump 55 сл.
4:45 The moment everything changed 64 сл.
5:13 My farm came to life 57 сл.
5:47 Making kombucha 33 сл.
6:10 Vision board 85 сл.
6:39 Farming is business 109 сл.
7:22 A solution that transforms 165 сл.

Intro

My name is Josephine Waweru. I'm a farmer in rural Kenya. I grow vegetables, coffee and herbal teas, among other things. Above all, I'm a believer in innovation

A believer in innovation

because just a few years ago I had nothing and a simple innovation saved me. Today, I want to share with you one powerful insight. A little bit of reliable water goes a long way. It can turn bare soil into food. It can turn hopelessness into dignity.

The water crisis

But in the era of climate change, reliable water is exactly what's becoming very hard to find. This is a challenge with millions of smallholder farmers like me around the world. We grow a lot of the world's food.

My story

Yet when the rains fail, so do our crops, our income, and our dreams. I have lived this struggle. When I moved back into my village in rural Kenya, I had only one cow named Ashley and one acre of maize. My home was a simple mud-walled house with a tin roof that echoed loudly when it rained. If it rained at all. No electricity, no running water, no supermarkets.

My biggest challenge

I started with nothing. No experience, zero finances, just responsibility of my children and a small piece of land. But my biggest challenge was water. Ashley drank 120 liters of water each day. My only source of water was the river, 400 metres far away from where my home stood. So imagine me, six times a day, carrying 20 liters, 45 pounds, of water on my back, climbing a steep path. I fell so many times. Sometimes the water spilled just before I reached home. I cried. I felt like a wasted resource. But I was determined to move on.

Moving on

So in 2017, I expanded into fruits and vegetables, hoping to earn more. But without reliable water, I had to hire diesel pumps, paying for fuel and labor. I was spending more money than I was making. So in 2019, I turned into coffee farming, a long-term investment. I dug a small pond to store rain water, but the rains didn't come. By 2020, I was ready to give up.

Rains

My coffee plants were drying up. My fish pond was empty. I remember walking around my farm each morning, talking to my plants, promising them water is coming soon. But I had no idea how. One night I lay awake

The next morning

tears in my eyes, I told God, "If you don't give me a solution, I'll stop farming. " The next morning at 7 am, my phone rang. A woman introduced herself telling me about a solar-powered water pump from SunCulture. I laughed bitterly and told her, "The devil is a liar. " (Laughter) "You woke up this early to con people. If you know what's good for you, don't call me again. " I hung up.

A real solution

And she called again and again. Finally, I listened. I went to see the pump myself. And I saw a real solution. A pump that didn't need fuel. That didn't depend on the unreliable electricity grid. Just the sun. And the best part? They allowed me to pay slowly, over time, what we call "pole pole" in Kiswahili. I wouldn't have been able to afford the full cost of the system upfront. I took a leap of faith. I dug a shallow well five meters deep, and the company came to install the system.

Installing the pump

As I saw the pump itself, this big, being lowered into my well, I was so nervous. This would either transform my farming or there'd be another terrible disappointment. Once the solar panels were mounted on the roof and the pump was connected, I switched on the pump and within seconds water was flowing. (Applause)

The moment everything changed

At that moment, I felt a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I couldn't help but think about hundreds of millions of small holder farmers all around the world, who wear my shoes. They deserve this miracle. And that day, everything changed. I mean everything. That night, I couldn't sleep. Not because of stress. My mind became a factory of ideas.

My farm came to life

With a reliable water source, my farm came to life. My coffee trees thrived. Flowers bloomed. I expanded my fish farming to seven ponds. I embraced black soldier flies farming, turning farm waste into eco-friendly animal feed. I planted herbal teas. I started making kombucha. (Laughter) (Applause) And I make the best kombucha in the world. (Laughter)

Making kombucha

For the first time, my farm was making me money instead of draining it. I came from nothing. And now, I have something. (Applause and cheers) I feel like a very useful resource.

Vision board

And I'll let you in on a secret. This didn't just happen by chance. This is my vision board. One year, I drew out the vision of my life. [Sad Ashley, the cow] (Laughter) And here I am ahead of schedule. But the most important part in this journey is helping other farmers. I opened my farm to train others, especially the young people, because I believe youth farming is the future. We cannot keep telling our young people that farming is a last resort.

Farming is business

Farming is an opportunity. Farming is innovation. Farming is business. And to my fellow farmers, I don't want you to be like me. I better than start your farms with a business plan, not a burden. I want you to know, with just a small amount of water, you can do incredible things. Because this is not just about surviving anymore. It's about turning your farm into a thriving business. I know what it feels [like] to struggle, to question God and to almost give up. But I also know what it feels [like] to find a solution. A solution that transforms not just a farm, but a life.

A solution that transforms

For me, that solution was a solar-powered pump. But the idea is bigger than one tool. It's about climate-smart solutions like solar-powered water pumps, yes, but also solar-powered cold storage, solar milling machines, biodigesters for clean cooking fuel, and drought-resistant seeds. These tools help a farmer to use less, waste less, adapt to climate change, and make more from every part of the farm. So I ask policymakers, investors, leaders, how do we make this happen for every farmer? What if every smallholder had access to affordable solar irrigation just like I did? What if we combine this with trainings, visioning tools, and mentorship so as no farmer has to figure it out alone? This is not charity. This is climate resilience. This is smart investment. This is food security for all of us. I know firsthand that it only takes a little bit of the right thing at the right time to change everything. Together, let's feed the world. Thank you. (Applause and cheers)

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