William Kamkwamba: Harnessed the Wind at Age 14
Posted on 24. Sep, 2009 by Leshell Hatley in Academia News, News, PhD, Scholarly Celebrations, Students
William Kamkwamba, from Malawi, is a born inventor. When he was 14, he built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap, working from rough plans he found in a library book called Using Energy and modifying them to fit his needs. The windmill he built powers four lights and two radios in his family home.
How Ted.com learned about William Kamkwamba
After reading about Kamkwamba on Mike McKay’s blog Hactivate (which picked up the story from a local Malawi newspaper), TEDGlobal Conference Director Emeka Okafor spent several weeks tracking him down at his home in Masitala Village, Wimbe, and invited him to attend TEDGlobal on a fellowship. Onstage, Kamkwamba talked about his invention and shared his dreams: to build a larger windmill to help with irrigation for his entire village, and to go back to school.
How TEDGlobal responded
Following Kamkwamba’s moving talk, there was an outpouring of support for him and his promising work. Members of the TED community got together to help him improve his power system (by incorporating solar energy), and further his education through school and mentorships. Subsequent projects have included clean water, malaria prevention, solar power and lighting for the six homes in his family compound; a deep-water well with a solar-powered pump for clean water; and a drip irrigation system. Kamkwamba himself returned to school, and is now attending the African Leadership Academy, a new pan-African prep school outside Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kamkwamba’s story is documented in his autobiography, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. A short documentary about Kamkwamba, called Moving Windmills (featured below), won several awards last year; Kamkwamba and friends are now working on a full-length film. You can read the ongoing details on his blog (which he keeps with help from his mentor), and support his work and other young inventors at MovingWindmills.org.
-From Ted.com
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Halona Y. Agouda
24. Sep, 2009
I remember seeing his story online at the TED conference. It was such a moving account of what the power of literacy and an inquisitive mind can do for a family. I am happy to read that he is now in school. However there are thousands of young people just like William in many countries across Africa who have great potential, and little opportunity to do something with it. William is a great reminder to the world that Africans are indeed able to solve their own problems, they just need a place to develop their gifts and talents and opportunities to be leaders.
Halona Y. Agouda
24. Sep, 2009
I remember seeing his story online at the TED conference. It was such a moving account of what the power of literacy and an inquisitive mind can do for a family. I am happy to read that he is now in school. However there are thousands of young people just like William in many countries across Africa who have great potential, and little opportunity to do something with it. William is a great reminder to the world that Africans are indeed able to solve their own problems, they just need a place to develop their gifts and talents and opportunities to be leaders.