William Kamkwamba was born in
Malawi a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also
a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills,
and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of
luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running
water. His neighbors called him misala-crazy-but
William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten
science textbooks: some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an
armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an
unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.
The
Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness
and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who
doubts the power of one individual’s ability to change his community and better
the lives of those around him.
As a young teenager, William had to drop out of school.
However, he went to the library and got books to read. He had seen on a bicycle
a light that shone when the bicycle was pedaled and he thought how could I make
light and power to pump water so we can read books in the evening and get water
in our fields so we will not have a drought? William, a school dropout read
books and build a windmill which generated electricity.
He is now a graduate of Dartmouth College and his inventions
have been displayed at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. The Moving Windmills Project was
inspired by the work of William. Their motto is “African Solutions to African
Problems.” Rather than invest in top-down, externally imposed agendas, Moving Windmills works with local
leaders to determine, organize, and implement the appropriate solutions. Areas
of focus include: food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, health, education, clean
water, and community building.
To learn more about Moving
Windmills, click here.
And for a pictorial YOUTUBE of the children’s version of
this story click here.
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