Activists Around the World: Kiara Nirghin

Kiara Nirghin is an inventor, speaker, activist and advocate for getting more women in STEM, and she's just getting started. We share her inspiring past, present and future. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stephane
Never told your protection if I heart radio, Yes, and
welcome to another episode of Activists around the World. Um,
and we are here to celebrate the brilliance of Kiara

(00:27):
organ and activists, a scientists, inventor, and speaker and so
many more other things that could be under a belt
at her age of twenty two. I think I'm like,
Okay Tree, and yeah, we are talking about this brilliant
all of those things I just said. Um, and apparently
she just recently graduated from college, so congratulations. Not listening

(00:50):
to our podcasts are in the airwaves nonetheless, wherever you are,
so yeah. Kia Law with a list of the accomplishments,
like we said, is a leader and innovator in the
STEM world, and something she has advocated for is for
more young women to be in this field, which yes,

(01:10):
we heart that. In a recent article she wrote for
The Economists and organ Rites about the issues of the
gender divide and STEM saying young women and girls around
the world are disproportionately discouraged from studying subjects like science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics STEM or pursuing careers in these fields. As adults.
The gender divide is stark in the workplace, and she

(01:32):
continues on closing this gender divide is key to a
better future. Solutions to some of our world's most pressing
problems could be out there in the minds of girls
around the world, but if they can't gain access to
quality education in these fields, the world is never going
to know about them. And yeah, she would know about
finding solutions as her own invention has made a vast
difference in the food shortage in her community. So at

(01:54):
the age of sixteen, and Urgan won the Google Science
Fair for her invention, which was a polymer technology that
can keep soil and crops hydrated for longer periods of
time during drought conditions. While being hospitalized due to a
serious illness, Norgan decided to put her time to use.
At the time, Johannesburg was suffering through one of the
worst droughts in decades, which had caused a food shortage,

(02:16):
and as climate change has become a leading cause in
hunger and food shortages, it wasn't just a problem in
South Africa, and Johannesburg was declared a disaster area due
to this. But Nrgan began her research and she realized
how she wanted to solve such a huge problem. Um quote.
I was young at the time, but I knew that
the solutions being put in place were not groundbreaking. So
I started looking at the problem and saw how I

(02:37):
could break it down into something that I could solve.
Oh yeah, and she did. After being released from the hospital,
she began her experiments. Um And though there were things
within the agricultural industry, the SAP or super absorbent polymers
are not actually affordable uh, nor are they environmentally friendly
as they are oftentimes non biodegradable. So Nurgan took her

(02:57):
ideas to change all of that using a mixed sure
of orange pills, which has high levels of pecton making
it super absorbent, and avocado pills, which contain natural oils
to help with the same process, allowing it to be
a natural SAP. Again. The super absorbent polymer, as she
explains her innovation quote, retains the same amount of water
as chemical SAPs, and it improves soil quality because it's biodegradable.

(03:21):
It also increases food security because in theory, farmers can
make it themselves, which you know we love that too,
and even better, She's able to get the supplies from
the waste of juice manufacturing, making it sustainable and low
cost UM And due to the newness of this invention,
Organ has been watching closely to see if any issues
about chemical products happen or the such, and so she's

(03:44):
constantly watching because it is a fairly new idea UM
and she has received well earned attention for her works
through this and has become a leader for other girls
to enter the STEM filled speaking at ted Dogs, with
the You and Women Organization and other platforms around the world,
Organ continues to use her voice to bring attention to

(04:04):
the needs for equal opportunities for women in these fields.
In her article with You and Women on equality, she says, quote,
I spoke up about this issue because the idea of
young girls not being able to pursue what interests them
as their male counterparts can do is absurd yet extremely rife.
Having more young girls in STEM it would bring growth
to innovation related industries and benefit many communities. And on

(04:26):
top of all of this, she wrote a book UM
which we will add to our book club lists, titled
Youth Revolution, which talks about tackling gender inequality in STEM.
Published in twenty nineteen, and for a bit more insight
about the book, Quote Youth Revolution not only covers her
journey from the hospital bed to the stage as the
winner of the Science Award, but also looks at issues
surrounding stagnant youth innovation while considering the dangers of lacking

(04:49):
diversity and stem science, technology, engineering, and mass. It also
includes contributions from prominent women in science and education, among
them Malata Usify, VP of Education and University Program for
Google and the recipient of the Loreal Unesco Award for
Women in Science. Youth Revolution is a deeply human and
truly inspirational, real life story that will enter all teenagers

(05:09):
and adults alike. Improves that even ordinary teenagers can do
extraordinary things. Right. Um, and we don't talk much about this,
but yeah, one of her push in advocating is to
have young people being a part of this making sure
we recognize obviously as she as a testimony to that,
oftentimes younger generations know how to bring about solutions. They

(05:30):
have innovative ideas and we should be listening and uh
really taking an advantage. I say that loosely to those
young minds and how they can make change. We love
to see it so very unaccomplished around these years, but
love seeing how they can grow and can do such
amazing work and how life changing this type of process

(05:51):
and innovation can be, especially when it comes to the
food shortage which has only been highlighted by the pandemic
um And of course, this amazing leader, speaker, writer, innovator,
scientists has plenty of accolades under her name, including the
Green Tech Festival, Youngster's Innovation Award, UH, Glamor Magazine's College

(06:12):
Woman of the Year, Malala Fund, Guest Author and Youth Contributor,
United Nations Speaker of the United Nations Headquarters on International
Women's Day. She's got a great little article. Uh. She
is the Forbes Generation Disruptor. I love that title because
Cosmopolitans nineteen under nineteen. Uh. She's Top Women in Tech
for the Inspiring Fifty, the South African of the Year

(06:34):
in twenty eighteen for the Youth category, Young Champion of
the Earth nominee, and the United Nations in eighteen Women's
Summit honoree by Forbes Women in twenty seventeen. Time Magazine's
Top thirty Most Influential in twenty seventeen, as well as
she was on the Young Power List UH in twenty
seventeen for The Guardian. So yeah, she has made a

(06:56):
name for herself. I'm sad that it takes so much
research to find her, even though she is well known.
Of course, she does have amazing bits out there with
different podcasts. She has been on Ted Talks uh and
many other things. I'm sure you will continue to see her.
She just recently graduated from Stanford I believe. Congratulations um,

(07:16):
and I'm sure we're gonna hear many more things from her. Yes. Yeah,
it's an amazing story, such a needed invention, and I'm
excited to hear more about what she does. And I'm
excited to read this book that sounds fantastic. In the meantime, listeners,
if you have someone we should highlight in this mini series,
please let us know. You can emails at stephaniea mom

(07:37):
Stuff at I hurt mea dot com. You can find
us on Twitter at mom Stuff podcast or on Instagram
at stuff I've Never Told You. Thanks as always to
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