I am Ulrike Rivett, an academic at the University of Cape Town in the Department of Civil Engineering. I arrived in South Africa in 1995 from Germany, to do my postgraduate studies in Cape Town. Since then, I have been privileged to learn through the people and the country of South Africa.

I TEDx because I love to be inspired by inspiring people, to hear that other people had ideas that turned into a real change – to feel the excitement of an enthusiastic speaker and to see the world through their eyes for 15 minutes is a fantastic experience.

My idea worth spreading at TEDxCapeTown 2012 is about the ability to trust the water we drink. It’s about governments delivering services. It’s about our tendency to be depressed by all the 'stuff ups' without coming up with a better solution. It’s about changing how we think.