Excuse me.
OK.
I tried to solve a problem there.
That’s why I’m here today.
Do not focus on who you are today,
but believe in what you can achieve today.
It’s a life lesson I use from Ock Soo Park.
There are around us enough problems that undermine our environment,
society, our country.
And in the face of all these problems,
There are also two types of looks that are quite common.
There are those who say to themselves:
” I can not do it. I do not have the capacity.
I do not have the intellectual means to realize it.
The other can do it.
The other who has the means can do it. But never me. “
And from another perspective, there are some who call themselves experts,
who have expertise in problem solving,
but never that bring a truly viable solution.
They seem to solve the problem, but in the end, never solve it.
At this level, I remember a word from the first Ivorian president,
Félix Houphouët-Boigny who said:
“We do not want researchers who seek,
but researchers who find. “
I am Samuel Sevi. I am 23 years old now.
I am no longer 21 years old. I’m 23 years old now.
I’m going to tell you about a part of my life that has changed my whole story.
In 2011, that year, I was 17,
after failing a one-point degree, I was really desperate.
Those who missed an exam know it, I was really desperate.
That year, I decided to go back to the village to meet my grandfather,
spend a holiday, change a little air.
And then, back to Abidjan and see what direction my life was going to take.
And that’s how it was, during those holidays, once, I went to the field,
in the plantation of my grandfather, and the day before, it had rained.
And I realized that the rain that had fallen the day before,
had ruined the entire production of natural rubber.
And so, when I got back to the village, I said to the old man:
“I noticed one thing in your plantation,
there is no production today because of the rain.
It’s normal ? “
And he said to me, “My child, it’s like that, we’re suffering from water. “
And so, when he told me that, I said, “OK. “
And that’s how he started to explain to me everything that was going on
in the rainy season at the level of the rubber harvest.
It turns out that the rainy seasons are the most favorable seasons
for the harvest of the rubber tree because the tree is tropical,
and therefore, the tree has the opportunity, the opportunity to absorb a lot of water,
and therefore, produces a lot more latex.
And to produce latex, there are usually people
what are called rubber tappers
who make an incision on the trunk of the tree
and this lets flow a sap, called the latex,
which is in liquid form.
And this sap will go into the cup you see there, in liquid form
for half a day or a day,
before solidifying.
But in this period of time if it rains,
the waters that run on the trunk
and those that fall from the leaves will accumulate in this cup.
And so, imagine that you have a little cup
and you put a spoonful of milk and add a carafe of water,
there is no more milk in the cup.
And so, all production is wasted in the rainy season.
And before, the planters, they used chemicals,
which, once in contact with the latex, solidify it automatically.
But this product has been refused
because it accelerates rust in industrial machines
and therefore, it damages them.
So the planters asked:
“How to solve the problem without being able to use this product? “
And they were told, “Calculate the time.
If you see it’s raining, you do not bleed.
If you see that it is not raining, you are bleeding.
And so, one in the other, this problem remained at this level
until the day I spoke with my grandfather.
And one evening, when I came back from the field, I looked closely at his plantation.
And I thought, “It’s simple.
Just design a small plastic object,
that we place under the trunk of the rubber tree and it protects. That’s all. “
And when I got home, I said, “I found a pretty simple idea. “
And he said, “No, you have to draw. You have to make a plan.
You have to do this, you have to do that. I told him, “But it’s too long. “
He says, “You have to do it. “
And that’s how together we did industrial drawings,
We tried to find the dimensions that fit.
But until then, there were problems.
If you follow the course of history, so that I have the idea to realize that,
I had to listen.
I had to watch the problem with my grandfather.
When I came back to Abidjan, I wanted to make the prototype
but not closer to those who were concerned.
We did several tests. It did not work.
It could not adapt to all the trunks.
We went back to the planters.
And by returning to them,
we tried to make a manual device.
And we took into consideration all their expectations.
They posed the concern of the trunks
who are leaning backwards and forwards.
So, we had to find a shape that could cover the cup
whatever the direction.
There are others
who laid down the condition of the tree that is thin,
others are big. What do we have to do ?
At the same time, it was necessary to put on the device,
a system that allowed the device to adapt to all rubber tree trunks.
Others who talked about the trickling water on the trunk.
What to do at this level?
So, we decided to put a waterproofing system
which could stop all the water running on the roof.
From that, I learned a great lesson, is that,
at times we have problems that we want to solve,
but we never go to those who have these problems.
Often observe, listen and ask the action
with those who have this problem
can help you find a better solution.
And this device is the most autonomous for the protection of the cup.
It is the most autonomous for rubber planters.
As a result of this, we applied for competitions.
In 2015, we had the Passerelle prize for the best young Ivorian inventor.
We are one of the 10 best young innovators in Africa.
(Applause)
And so, I had to bring the name of the country to the African level.
And we won other awards
and even made headlines magazines like Turbo, youth magazine,
which is not given to everyone. It was an honor.
When I was selected as one of the top 10 young innovators,
the African Innovation Foundation invited me to Botswana.
And when I arrived in Botswana, I found myself among experts.
Innovation experts, technology experts, outstanding inventors.
The greatest African inventors. And I found myself there in the middle of them.
And there was one who once said to me, “My friend, my friend” – a Nigerian –
” My friend. Come here, come here. I just want to take a picture with you. “
I said what ? Do you want to take a picture with me? “
Okay. (Laughter)
And so, all happy, I took the picture.
For some, it may seem simple enough
to make a picture with a great inventor.
But when you know what kind of inventor you are, an inventor who started from nothing,
surely, it is a great joy for us.
The school system had dismissed me
because I could not find my place in this one.
I struggled, but I could not get through the school system.
I failed at the bin
and I no longer had the courage to resume.
It’s not just the school system that has pushed me aside,
but there was also the social system.
I will tell you a little story that will quickly help you understand
my living conditions.
When I was in 6th grade, I was studying one night,
I lived in a house, without water, without electricity, with my mother.
And I was obviously studying with a candle.
It was in 2006.
And while I was studying one evening, until midnight, I was studying, studying.
And while studying, I smelled smoke.
Since I love the village, when we fire an animal, I know.
I smelled smoke.
I said to myself, “What neighbor is embers of agouti meat at midnight? “
That’s not that his neighbors are asking him.
But I continued to study.
Arrived a moment, I began to feel a strong heat in my head.
I just did like that,
in fact, it was my hair that burned.
And that day, when I sat down, I sat up
and I had a long sigh.
And I continued to study.
When this great Nigerian inventor asked me to take the picture with him,
it is from this sigh that I remembered.
(Applause)
Today, more than ever,
I am attached to this quote that I made when I was 14 years old.
I do not want to be part of those who pass in the world,
but rather of those who mark the world.
(Applause)
Solving a problem does not necessarily require great expertise.
Help someone, we do not need to take a long time to do it.
We just have to watch, listen, try to act at least.
And we will become people
who have managed to change the lives of one, two, three, four people
and his own life.
Wanting to help my grandfather solve his problem,
I found myself solving the problem
for all rubber tree growers in Côte d’Ivoire, Africa
and even the world.
(Applause)
That’s why, the last sentence I’m going to leave you,
it is: “Dream, create and change your world,
because everything is possible. “
It’s not: “Dream, create and change the world.
It’s dream, create and change your world,
because everything is possible. “
Thank you. (Applause)
”
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