Alert! Not much literary news comes out of Malawi – at least, not much of the kind that we can feature at BOOK SA – but here’s a story you simply have to hear about.
Meet William Kamkwamba. Now 22, he built an electricity-generating windmill in his home village in Malawi – from scratch – after he dropped out of high school to help his family combat famine. His first windmill was “made from PVC pipe, a tractor fan, an old bicycle frame, and tree branches, and powered four light bulbs and charged mobile phones. A second windmill pumped water for a family garden.” His instruction manual? An eighth-grade science book.
Kamkwamba’s extraordinary story has now been told in book form, with the assistance of writer Bryan Mealer – and their just-published The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope has taken the USA somewhat by storm.
Kamkwamba has appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart, for instance – a top evening slot in the US. The following clip from the show is worth watching not just because it’s a great introduction to Kamkwamba and his book, but also because it shows how the self-taught engineer built a circuit-breaker with nails, copper wire and a magnet when was fourteen. (Or maybe fifteen. That year makes a big difference, hey.) The latter-day windmill-wright (hopefully no one tilted at his) also describes his astonishment upon encountering Google for the first time, on a trip to the US, which gave him “millions” of plans for windmills in less than a second:
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Clearly pre-disposed to be a tech savant, Kamkwamba is busy ruling the internet with a blog, a Twitter account and a charity portal to help community projects in Wimbe, Malawi. (See links below.)
Kamkwamba’s is a story that would have made vernacular architecture enthusiast James Walton – author, inter alia, of Watermills, Windmills and Horse-mills of Southern Africa and Windpumps in South Africa – very proud. Here’s an excerpt from The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind:
Prologue
The preparation was complete, so I waited. The muscles in my arms still burned from having worked so hard, but now I was finished. The machinery was bolted and secured. The tower was steady and unmoving under the weight of twisted steel and plastic. Looking at it now, it appeared exactly as it was—something out of a dream.
News of the machine had spread to the villages, and people were starting to arrive. The traders spotted it from their stalls and packed up their things. The truckers left their vehicles along the roads. Everyone walked into the valley, and now gathered in its shadow. I recognized these faces. Some of these people had mocked me for months, and still they whispered, even laughed. More of them were coming. It was time.
The inventor now apparently lives in South Africa; here’s his impressive resume:
William Kamkwamba is a student at African Leadership Academy, a pan-African high school in Johannesburg, South Africa. A 2007 TED Global Fellow, Kamkwamba has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal and his inventions displayed at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. He’s often invited to tell his story, and in 2008, he delivered an address at the World Economic Forum on Africa.
A short documentary on Kamkwamba’s story has been posted to YouTube:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arD374MFk4w[/youtube]
Finally, you can help Kamkwamba extend his rather unique and inspiring reach in his home country by donating to the Moving Windmills project, founded in 2008, which pursues rural economic development and education projects:
Help me achieve my village projects, support my friends’ and family’s educations, and complete a documentary film. Payments appear as Moving Windmills Project, a US 501(c)3. Contributions are tax deductible in U.S. Click “Support My Work” tab for more info. Amounts over $250 will be doubled by a challenge grant.
A great story – and, we hope, a great Sunday read for you.
William Kamkwamba links
Book details
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October 11th, 2009 @11:06 #
I'm absolutely thrilled for William Kamkwamba, and so pleased that his story is out in the world. We need to hear these true-life tales of industriousness and ingenuity. Fantastic!
October 11th, 2009 @18:10 #
Wonderful story. Totally agree with Maya.
October 11th, 2009 @20:19 #
Inspiring. One of my fave Sunday Reads ever (also liked the foiled kidnapping story, Ben-E).
October 12th, 2009 @07:43 #
This is a great story. I'd love to get hold of the book.