The story of the boy who built a windmill to save his people

William Kamkwamba (36) is a Malawian engineer, entrepreneur and writer who became famous for building a makeshift windmill at the age of 14, using materials found in his community. This achievement made him internationally famous and was an inspiration to many people.

Since then, Kamkwamba has made several public appearances, including speaking at TED conferences and speaking at universities and organizations around the world. He is also the author of his autobiographical book “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: A True Story of a Young Man and His Struggle for Freedom”which chronicles his humble beginnings and his path to success.

The book came out in 2009 and was an instant success, becoming an international bestseller. Since then, his story has inspired several films and documentaries, with the aim of helping young Africans realize their potential and inspire others to follow their dreams and pursue clean and sustainable technology. How did you build the mill?

His mill has changed thousands of lives

William Kamkwamba was born in 1987 in Malawian, Africa. In 2001, a severe drought devastated his village, triggering a famine that affected thousands of people, including his family: “The famine hit us so hard that we had nothing to eat. It was a difficult time for the whole village “, commented. William in a chat with the BBC.

Although he had to drop out of school due to lack of means, Kamkwamba continued his self-taught education, reading books and looking for information. in 2002 he began working on his project to build a windmill using recycled materials, such as bicycle parts and scrap metal: “It is said that ingenuity is learning to use what you have. Since we didn’t have materials to build a windmill, I used what I had and modified it to make it work” , the man explained to the aforementioned medium.

Despite the lack of resources, Kamkwamba used his ingenuity and available resources to build his own windmill, using discarded and scrap materials found in his community. After completing your windmill, supplied electricity to your home and the homes of your neighborssignificantly improving their daily life.

In 2007, the windmill went public, after a local journalist discovered it and shared it with the rest of the world: “I wanted to harness the winds and use them to create clean, renewable energy. Also, I wanted to show the world that young people from African villages can also create something important,” Kamkwamba told local media.

destined for great things

Kamkwamba became famous for his story and wrote a book in 2009 titled “The Boy Who Tamed the Wind”. The story of her ingenuity and determination has inspired many people around the world and she has become an icon for creativity and entrepreneurship around the world.

The man continued his education and graduated Dartmouth College, United States in 2014. Since then, he has worked on projects to boost manufacturing and technology in Africa while supporting increased investment in education and development across the continent.

William is an advocate for access to education and technology for people around the world, especially in Africa. After completing university, he worked on renewable energy and technology projects across the continent, including implementing solar energy systems in rural villages.

Kamkwamba has spoken at conferences around the world on the power of education and innovation to transform lives and communities. In 2013, he did the same in Global TEDwhere he shared his story and experience building his windmill: “I’m a big believer in education and I believe that if you invest in education, people will have more opportunities to move forward in life.” seen by millions of people around the world.

His life has arrived on Netflix

In 2019, Netflix released a film based on the life of William Kamkwamba starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Kamkwamba’s father who wholeheartedly supported him in his windmill project. The movie, called “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”it received positive reviews for its focus on Kamkwamba’s determination and resilience.

Throughout his career, William has been recognized for his work and has received various awards, including the UN Youth Summit Award in 2013 for his work in promoting renewable energy and sustainable development.

Currently, Kamkwamba continues to work on projects and promotion of education and technology around the world, and his story has inspired many young people and people around the world to pursue their dreams with persistence and entrepreneurial spirit: “I am an example that even if you don’t have the resources, you can do great work and be successful at whatever you want to do.”