Harnessing the Wind: William Kamkwamba

by AAKAASH MADHAVAN for The Toronto Globalist

Windmill built by William Kamkwamba

It’s no secret that North America is a continent of abundance and excess. Today we are citizens of a society that naturally takes things for granted, living in an environment filled with handouts and easy access to whatever we desire. In fact, it’s clear that the more we seem to be given, the less we seem to think. Has this abundance driven mindset made us loose our ability to innovate, our drive to create and our ambition to achieve? It’s no doubt had a lasting impact on our education system and our economic growth. Sure, there exist many precious and tremendous attributes of living in a developed society. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself what you could achieve if you had nothing to work with? What if you were stripped of all your education, all your money and most importantly, your computer? Would there still exist that unfettering drive to conquer your obstacles and achieve what you dream of?

These imaginary situations were a reality for a young African boy named William Kamkwamba, who at the age of 14 single-handedly built a windmill for his village in Malawi Africa. A country gravely affected by droughts and hunger, and a place where little boys and girls had minimal access to education and only their dreams to live on. As a child, William would always be amazed by the wonders of electricity and the power of energy. He had often dreamt about understanding how it worked and using it to help his village. However, due to a severe famine that greatly affected his family and his town, William lacked the funds to pay the $80 in annual school fees that would have been able to put him through school. Thus, he made the decision to drop out and help his family gather food as their whole village was on the brink of starvation. This unfortunate turn of events however did not deter William from chasing his dreams. Rather than succumb to his circumstances William started borrowing books from the community lending Library. One of these books was an 8th grade American Textbook called “Using Energy”. The text soon became the lexicon upon which William built his windmill, hoping to power both his family’s home and his village. William dared to dream, and provide his family with a luxury that only two percent of Malawi citizens could afford (electricity and clean water). Using only a broken bicycle, tractor fan blade, an old shock absorber and blue gum trees, William forged a gritty windmill which had the power to light four light bulbs and charge his neighbours cell phone. Soon, the boy who was once called crazy by his fellow villagers was known as a global inspiration.

The story of William Kamkwamba puts a perspective on exactly how much our society is reliant on abundance and excess. In the west, it takes the federal governments and multi-national conglomerates to build a windmill which merely powers a small geographic area. Whereas halfway across the globe, there are individuals like William who haven’t even received a complete education, and still find a way to innovate and create. William’s story is a testament to what the true raw potential of an individual is, and what a person can do even without access to what western society takes for granted everyday.

These days you can see William touring North America to promote his book; The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind a personal recollection of his journey to build the windmill. You can also read about him in numerous well noted publications across the globe like the Wall Street Journal, La Repubblica and the UK Financial Times. Furthermore, William has now gathered the funds to attend the African leadership Academy; a top prep school outside Johannesburg. Upon completing his SAT’s and graduating secondary school, William hopes to enrol into college in the United States.

So, the next time you feel that your goals and ambitions are unattainable and unrealistic, just remind yourself that there are kids on the other side of the earth who can do twice as much with twice as less. Never forget the raw potential that a human being has to innovate and excel.