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How to Empower the Next Generation of Pilots | Refilwe Ledwaba | TED

What does it take to fly a plane? For TED Fellow Refilwe Ledwaba, it took perseverance and drive — and an instructor who took the time to teach to her learning style. Today, as founder of Girls Fly Africa, Ledwaba is empowering the next generation of pilots, particularly young women, with the engineering skills, professional…

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What does it take to fly a plane? For TED Fellow Refilwe Ledwaba, it took perseverance and drive — and an instructor who took the time to teach to her learning style. Today, as founder of Girls Fly Africa, Ledwaba is empowering the next generation of pilots, particularly young women, with the engineering skills, professional networks and hands-on experience they need to take flight into a sky-high career. (Recorded at TED Fellows Films 2025 on April 7, 2025)

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16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. @shrlox

    December 4, 2025 at 11:04 am

    Yes daddy I love you too. Message received❤

  2. @dh12.

    December 4, 2025 at 11:23 am

    So she admits that she barely passed! 😂

    • @kinsmed

      December 4, 2025 at 11:36 am

      She relates that she had a bad instructor.
      If you have faith in people, they can succeed. Do you?

  3. @Vuk_q5n

    December 4, 2025 at 11:23 am

    Just the thing I needed ❤

  4. @freshundies

    December 4, 2025 at 11:34 am

    with the current govermeant making everything unsafe and destorying the rule of law why would any one wont to fly. i want to learn how to setup a gocermeant inside the us out side of the reach of the broken govermeant that is there now.

  5. @kinsmed

    December 4, 2025 at 11:35 am

    Infectious enthusiasm. But I guess I would too for this topic.

  6. @Eveningbreeze721

    December 4, 2025 at 11:39 am

    This makes me wonder how many people who never get exposed to things to help them realize what they could really love to do or be good at.

    • @AnnieB-v8j

      December 4, 2025 at 5:06 pm

      And also get guided through the steps to achieve dreams.

    • @bien.mp4

      December 5, 2025 at 9:45 am

      True

  7. @robinross6701

    December 4, 2025 at 11:40 am

    I am a commercial fixed wing pilot in the United states and the there are enormous barriers when it comes to race and gender. For white men you are SKREWED, the dei is so ridiculous. An instructor I know who’s puerto rican faked having a Hispanic accent during his airline interview because other Hispanic American airline pilots told him it would help his chances, and whaddya know?? He got hired! There are also scholarships for women, and every race except white.

    • @Eveningbreeze721

      December 5, 2025 at 12:34 am

      What are you talking about? Go look up the demographics of commercial pilots. Most are white men. 85 to 90%. Just because others get a small opportunity does not mean white men are screwed. Geez.

  8. @grim6028

    December 4, 2025 at 4:51 pm

    AI will replace pilots.

  9. @Jazzynet100

    December 4, 2025 at 6:13 pm

    We can empower them to maybe take up flying model planes or drones. Oh I forgot we over regulated so they can’t now do that. Let’s pop them straight into a real sub 70 kg microlight which requires zero training and way less regulations. Sadly my budding pilot can’t even fly a 250gr toy inside the house. Caa, FAA and others will stop new pilots with regulations for sure 🎉🎉

  10. @ANGÉLIQUEBEL

    December 5, 2025 at 9:33 am

  11. @kimahbeach2260

    December 5, 2025 at 1:06 pm

    Step 1: have generational wealth.

  12. @WayinVideo-DeepQA

    December 6, 2025 at 11:04 am

    This TED talk by Refilwe Ledwaba is truly inspiring, highlighting the transformative power of mentorship and education in aviation. It’s especially refreshing to see someone directly addressing the barriers young women face in pursuing careers in traditionally male-dominated fields like this one. The focus on hands-on experience and community support feels essential—it’s not just about learning to fly, but about building a network of encouragement, confidence, and belonging.

    That said, it also raises a bigger question for me: while organizations like Girls Fly Africa are doing incredible work, what more can be done to make these opportunities sustainable and truly accessible to young women across different socioeconomic backgrounds? Are we doing enough to challenge stereotypes and shift perceptions about women’s roles—not just in aviation, but across industries?

    It feels like conversations about long-term support and systemic change are just as important as inspiration. We should be asking how we build a culture that doesn’t only open doors, but also helps these aspiring pilots stay, grow, and thrive in the field. I’m curious what others think—what does real, lasting progress look like here?

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How to Confront Your Inner Critic (W/ Anu Gupta) | How to Be a Better Human | TED

How do you quieten the judgmental voice in your head? Educator and entrepreneur Anu Gupta suggests you actually listen to it.Anu joins Chris to discuss the effects of human biases on our psyche and how to combat self-destructive habits by swapping out harmful emotions with constructive thoughts. They also talk about how individuals, when they…

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How do you quieten the judgmental voice in your head? Educator and entrepreneur Anu Gupta suggests you actually listen to it.Anu joins Chris to discuss the effects of human biases on our psyche and how to combat self-destructive habits by swapping out harmful emotions with constructive thoughts. They also talk about how individuals, when they come together, can create a society that is anchored around a loving, not critical, culture.

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Fake news is everywhere — @DaveJorgenson says respond with a punchline #TEDTalks

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What if the best defense against misinformation isn’t panic, but a punchline? Journalist and comedian Dave Jorgenson explores how misinformation has proliferated throughout history — from the age of Plato to the era of viral TikToks. With his own short, absurdist sketches that explain the news, he shows how humor can cut through fear, spark curiosity and explore nuanced truth.

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When the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires destroyed his home and neighborhood, scientist Christian Busch encountered the opposite of serendipity: “zemblanity,” or bad luck by design. Drawing on more than a decade of scientific research, he explores how people can navigate unpredictability by adopting a serendipity mindset that transforms setbacks into unexpected new beginnings. He asks: What if good luck isn’t random but can actually be cultivated? (Recorded at TED@BCG on ctober 23, 2025)

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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: . 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

#TED #TEDTalks #PersonalGrowth

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