William Kamkwamba (1987-today) is an engineer and inventor from Malawi that self-taugh himself to build a windmill from scrap materials to bring electricity and water to his village.
In 2001, a severe drought and famine devastated his home village of Wimbe. Due to the extreme economic crisis, William’s family could no longer afford his school fees, and he was forced to drop out of secondary school.
Refusing to stop learning, William began visiting a small local library. Guided almost entirely by the illustrations and diagrams in an American textbook titled Using Energy—as he barely understood technical English at the time—he devised a plan to save his family: build a windmill to generate electricity and pump water.
Despite his neighbors calling him misala (crazy), William collected raw materials directly from local scrap yards and dumping sites:
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A fan from an old tractor.
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A bicycle frame and its dynamo.
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Plastic PVC pipes melted over a fire to shape the blades.
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Eucalyptus wood to construct a 5-meter-tall (16-foot) tower.
When he finished the structure, the wind began to turn the blades, successfully powering four light bulbs and two radios in his family home. Later, he upgraded the design to build a solar-powered pumping system that allowed villagers to irrigate their crops during the dry season, tackling the roots of the local famine.
The news of his makeshift invention reached journalists and international technology scouts. In 2007, he was invited as a Fellow to the prestigious TEDGlobal conference in Arusha, Tanzania, where he moved the international audience with his short but iconic phrase: «I tried, and I made it.»
Thanks to international scholarships, William was able to return to formal education. He graduated from the African Leadership Academy in South Africa and then crossed the Atlantic to study in the United States, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the prestigious Dartmouth College in 2014.
His inspiring journey of resilience has transcended borders through multiple major media adaptations:
- The Book: He co-authored his memoirs alongside Bryan Mealer under the title The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which became a New York Times bestseller.
- The Film (2019): Netflix adapted his life into an acclaimed movie of the same name, directed by Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor and starring Maxwell Simba.
- The Theater: His life’s work was recently adapted into an acclaimed stage musical by the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company.
Today, William actively runs his own non-profit organization, the Moving Windmills Project, dedicated to empowering young African innovators by providing them with resources, tools, and mentorship in renewable energy, sustainability, and modern farming. His latest milestone is the construction of a massive Innovation Center in Malawi to uncover and nurture tech talent in rural areas.
When he was 14, a famine affected the region. His family had to survive with only one meal per day, and he could not attend school because of unpaid fees.
However, he continued learning on his own by visiting the local library. There he discovered a book called “Using Energy” (in English, a language he didn’t fully understand) with a windmill on it.
Although he didn’t understand it completely, he studied the diagrams and started building a windmill.
He constructed it with bicycle parts, car batteries, plastic pipes, scrap metal, blue gum tress, and other materials from the local junkyard.
Kamkwamba’s story gained international attention when he was invited to speak at a TED conference in 2007. His presentation led to widespread recognition, educational opportunities, and eventually inspired the book
He gained international attention in 2007 after making the TED conference How I harnessed the wind.
He inspired the book “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” (2009), which co-authored with Bryan Mealer, and also a Netflix film (2019) with the same name.
His neighbors initially mocked him, calling him crazy, but when the windmill successfully generated electricity to power lights and a radio in his family’s home, everything changed.
How many talented people are we losing because of poorness? How responsible are we to improve the world if we could get proper education?
H
Building the impossible
Global recognition
He has built multiple windmills, solar-powered water pumps, and other innovations that have transformed his community.
He graduated from the prestigious Dartmouth College
and continues to work on sustainable development projects, proving that innovation and determination can overcome seemingly impossible circumstances.
His story demonstrates how access to knowledge, combined with creativity and persistence, can create solutions that transform entire communities.
Conclusions
Bibliography and sources of interest
- https://www.ted.com/speakers/william_kamkwamba
- William Kamkwamb as TED speaker