Young man builds windmill from a textbook, inspiring a nation

The young Mali man got inspired after seeing a windmill in a textbook. Gathering a book and some materials, he built a few windmills to power his home and village.

In Mali, Africa, residents have poor electricity connections and most of them rely on candles and generators. William Kamkwamba, 20, however wants to change that. The video above shows how Kamkwamba was able to achieve his dreams.

Kamkwamba dropped out of school because his family couldn’t afford $80 to support his education. But that didn’t trouble him; six years ago he borrowed an old textbook that contained a photo of a windmill. On that day, his life changed forever and he was inspired to build a windmill in his home from old spare parts, blue-gum trees and bicycle parts.

He has built three windmills in his yard that power his family’s 10 six-watt light bulbs, a TV set and a radio. His current project is building another windmill for the village in which he lives. He wants it to pump water from wells and provide lighting for Masitala village in Mali, where 60 families reside.

Kamkwamba told the Wall Street Journal how he got interested in wind power:

"I was thinking about electricity…I was thinking about what I'd like to have at home, and I was thinking, 'What can I do?' "

He has larger dreams to build even more windmills that will power the entire nation. To support his dreams, a group of investors are sponsoring his education.

His parents were originally skeptical about his windmill projects but have become enthusiastic supporters. They no longer buy candles to light the home and two of Kamkwamba’s sisters are now able to study at night.

Kamkwamba has also installed a solar panel and another windmill at his home to provide for the growing power needs of his family.

He also built a windmill for the primary school in Masitala and uses it teach the other students.

Many villagers are trekking to his home and some even power their cell phones with his windmill power.

Last November, Hartford Mchazime, a Malawian educator, heard about the windmill and drove out to Kamkwamba's house with some reporters. After this news was heard and spread around the Web by bloggers, a group of entrepreneurs from Technology Entertainment Design (TED), looking for bright ideas in Africa located Kamkwamba.

He was asked to give a speech at a TED conference. After his moving speech at the conference, many entrepreneurs, African bloggers and venture capitalists offered to help him and his projects.

Kamkwamba’s teacher Lorilee MacLean however wants him to get his education first and not fall into trap of this sudden fame. He seems to be doing just that, as he is now attending a school. While he is away, his sister Dolice and cousin Geoffrey are taking care of his windmills.

Kamkwamba has his own blog and updates his windmill crusade here. Recently, he received a few laptops from the One Laptop Per Child Program as a gift. He gave the laptops away at his school.