The Broken Bicycle Chain: Tan Lai Yong at TEDxWarwick 2013

Summary

The speaker recounts a bicycle chain repair experience in Yunnan, China, drawing parallels to the challenges of making community projects sustainable. They share three key lessons learned from local tribes: balancing expenses with local enterprise, nurturing people to lead, and the importance of letting communities take the lead in their development. The narrative emphasizes the heart of sustainability, which lies in motivation and the people's ability to overcome adversity, as illustrated by the creation of a homemade ORS solution to combat infant diarrhea in poor areas.

Takeaways

• 🚲 The story of the broken bicycle chain in Yunan serves as a metaphor for the challenges of making projects sustainable.
• 🌏 The speaker's experiences in Yunan, China, highlight the importance of local knowledge and adaptability in community development.
• 💡 The first lesson learned is about balancing expenses with local enterprise, emphasizing the need to work with local methods and resources.
• 🌱 The second lesson is about nurturing people, showing that emotionally healthy teams are crucial for community development, especially in Asia.
• 🌼 A story of a disabled girl and a blade of grass illustrates the resilience and value of individuals in community development.
• 👣 The third lesson is about letting people lead, trusting in their knowledge and methods, as demonstrated by the farmer with different techniques for protecting corn seedlings.
• 🏥 The use of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) in poor areas is an example of a low-cost, life-saving solution that is simple and effective.
• 💧 The taste of a teardrop is used as a metaphor to communicate the correct preparation of ORS, showing the importance of relatable teaching methods.
• 🌱 The speaker emphasizes the need for sustainability to come from the heart, not just from methods and strategies, but also from genuine motivation and care.
• 🌳 The ancient Chinese poem suggests that the best leaders empower people to the point where they feel they have accomplished the task themselves.
• 🏠 The speaker looks forward to a time when the community can sustain itself, indicating a transition from external support to self-sufficiency.

Q & A

What challenges did the speaker face when trying to repair their bicycle chain in Yunnan?

The speaker encountered several challenges: one repairman didn't know how to fix it, another refused because it took too long, and a third lacked the necessary parts.

What lesson about sustainability did the speaker learn from the bicycle repairmen in Yunnan?

The speaker learned that sustainability requires practical solutions and adaptability, as demonstrated by the different responses and limitations of the bicycle repairmen.

How did the speaker's experience with the elderly farming couple demonstrate local enterprise?

The couple showed enterprise by selling freshly steamed sweet corn to the speaker and later using an empty basket to catch fish from the water flowing through broken mud walls, turning challenges into opportunities.

What was the significance of the villagers throwing stones into the water?

The villagers threw stones into the water to fill a hole in the road caused by flooding, illustrating a cost-effective and collaborative approach to problem-solving.

What insight did the speaker gain about community development from observing the farmer's methods to protect corn seedlings?

The speaker realized that effective community development involves understanding and adopting local methods, as the farmer used different materials to protect corn seedlings from rats, showing resourcefulness and local knowledge.

What was the girl's perspective on being trampled on like grass in the garden?

The girl accepted being trampled on because she knew that grass, despite being stepped on, made the garden more beautiful, and she felt valued and loved by her friends and community.

Why did the speaker emphasize nurturing emotionally healthy teams in community development?

Nurturing emotionally healthy teams is crucial because it fosters collaboration, resilience, and mutual support, which are essential for addressing the complexities and challenges of community development.

What does the speaker suggest about the role of sustainability in community development projects?

The speaker suggests that sustainability should be integral to community development, balancing local enterprise and expenses, nurturing people, and ultimately letting the local community lead.

How did the speaker's approach to treating childhood diarrhea in Yunnan reflect their views on low-cost solutions?

The speaker promoted the use of a homemade oral rehydration solution (ORS) with simple ingredients, emphasizing low-cost, effective solutions that are accessible and life-saving.

What is the overall message of the speaker's experiences and lessons learned in Yunnan?

The overall message is that effective community development requires practical, sustainable solutions, local collaboration, emotional support, and empowering the community to lead, rather than relying solely on external resources.