I love hero stories. Check out William and his windmill...
Recently published, The Boy Who Harnessed the WInd tells the true story of 14 year old, William Kamkwamba whose country is devestated by drought. His family is unable to afford the $80 annual sum to send William to school. To him, dropping out was almost more devastating than the famine, because he knew that without an education, his life would forever be dictated by the rain and the sun.
"I looked at my father in those dry fields and saw the rest of my life," he said. "And it was a future I could not accept."
William improvised his schooling by visiting the local library. A few weeks later, he discovered an eighth-grade science book called Using Energy that featured windmills on the cover. He'd never seen a windmill before. "They were beautiful," he said, "so powerful, the page itself appeared to be in motion. I thought: 'That could be a defence against hunger. Maybe I should build one for myself'."He read that windmills were used to pump water and generate electricity — all by a spinning turbine. Armed with only these photographs and a crude knowledge of science, he saw the need to build himself a windmill and bring electricity and irrigation to his village. His dream was that his family would never again have to suffer under the weight of drought and famine. And instead of waiting on politicians or Western aid organizations and journalists, William did it on his own.
He spent months digging through garbage in a nearby scrapyard looking for rusted tractor fans, shock absorbers, and plastic PVC pipe. He endured countless setbacks, depression, and constant ridicule by neighbors. William knew if he could proved electricity to his home his mother's life would be easier, and if the windmill could pump water from the earth, his father wouldn't have to depend on the unreliable rain. Out of a tractor fan, a bicycle, and plastic pieces melted over a fire, William built his first windmill in 2006. His village and his family thought he was crazy, but after hooking up his first light bulb, they literally began to see the light.
Watch the video below and try to guess at which point I got a lump in my throat. *answer below
William's story has been published with co-author Bryan Mealer and you can find it as well as a blog by Mealer at Powell's Books. A documentary is in the process of bieing filmed in which you can donate to. Inspired by the work of William Kamkwamba, Moving Windmills was founded in 2008 to pursue rural economic development and education projects in Malawi, Africa. You can choose a number of projects to donate to such as books for the library, a windmill for the primary school, planting trees, and scholarships.
Completed projects include:
- Wind and solar power for village homes
- Re-roofing village homes: protection from rain and fire
- Water sanitation and hygiene education: disease prevention
- Anti-malarial bed-net distribution: disease prevention
- Bed, pillow, sheet and blanket distribution: provided warmth and pest protection
- A water well and solar-powered water pump: eliminated two-kilometer walks and lines at the pumps to gather fresh water
- Drip irrigation: improved the food supply with multiple maize crops and vegetable gardens
- Running water taps free-of-charge for all villagers: improved sanitation and productivity
- Distribution of fertilizer, urea and seed: improved crop yields threefold per hectare
- Uniforms, shoes and equipment for the village football (soccer) team: lead to third place in the district and generated village pride, literally putting the village on the map
- Children’s and young adult books distribution: improved reading skills and increased literacy in children aged 5-18
- Educational scholarships: allowed rural, poor students to attend secondary school; improved self-esteem, career prospects and life choices
*Windmill Farm, Palm Springs, California