If
ever there was an example of creativity finding a way, it would be William
Kamkwamba.
Born
the second of seven children in a farming family in Malawi, he was forced to
leave school at 14 when a devastating famine sucked the life out of his
country’s soil and his parents could no longer afford the $80 annual school
fee. But William wasn’t about to stop
learning, turning to the local library for educational material without missing
a beat.
Early
on he’d shown talent with electronics, having started a radio repair business
to make extra money for his family. Even
so, when he built his first electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and
scrap at age 14 to power his family’s home---working only from plans he found
in a library book---heads began to turn.
An
international blogger heard about the young inventor, wrote about him, and the
rest is history. TED Global Conference
director Emeka Okafor tracked down William and invited him to speak at the next
conference about his windmill and his dream to build larger windmills to help
his village.
Not
surprisingly, a generous outpouring of financial support followed his
presentation.
And
as a result, William was able to improve his original windmill by incorporating
solar power---and then adding this system to the new windmills he built. He also developed a solar powered pump to help
produce clean water, and a bio-gas digester that uses cow dung to generate gas
for cooking. His innovations have
lowered dependence on firewood and overall deforestation.
William
was also able to re-start his formal education as well, first as a student at
the African Leadership Academy, and then at Dartmouth College where he
graduated in 2014.
Somehow,
he also found time to put his story into book form, with the internationally
acclaimed The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.
Named by Time magazine as one of the "30
People Under 30 Changing The World,” William remains
committed to his country’s growth, and envisions building an innovation center
in Malawi where other inventors can share their discoveries and their dreams.
William Kamkwamba is a hero you should know. And I’m Dr. Ross Porter.
