Sometimes it takes one person’s undying focus and energy to make a change. In this case William Kamkwamba was just such a man, or 14-year old boy, as the case was. Living in a small town in Malawi with no electricity, William was determined to power his family’s home with used parts and ingenuity…and a little education.

“An organization called the Malawian Teacher Training Activity contributed a large quantity of books to the primary school library near my home,” William said. “One of the books was called Using Energy. Inside there were plans for a windmill so I decided to build one to provide power for my family.”

In particular, he was deeply concerned for his sister’s health.

“She was coughing from the candles,” William explained. “They smoke and they are dangerous.

The villagers at first laughed at his efforts:

When I was making [the windmill], all these people were mocking me, saying I was going mad but I had confidence in what I was doing because I knew that if it was written in the book, then it was true and possible.”

Using found parts such as wooden poles, broken pipes, old shoes, copper wire and even his father’s old bicycle, William went to work. William’s first official windmill generated enough energy to light one room!

William, now 20, was recently made a Fellow at TEDGlobal which is a conference that brings together exceptional people from the three worlds of Technology, Entertainment and Design. He now intends to further his work and help his entire village, as well as becoming a celebrity in his own right:

“When I first met him,” relays Tom Rielly, Partnership Director of TED Conferences, “I was struck by his intelligence and ingenuity. He has overcome both the lack of access to education and the lack of monetary resources to set a great example for young people everywhere by making life better for his family. Now all his sisters and he can read at night, listen to the radio and watch television, helping to make them part of the wider world. He inspires me everyday.”

Website: www.williamkamkwamba.com

To watch ‘How I built my family a windmill’ on the TED video channel:
www.ted.com/index.php/talks/william_kamkwamba_on_building_a_windmill.html