• March 28, 2024

From Rags to Riches: The Story of a Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Forced to drop out of school because of severe poverty in his family, William Kamkwamba was a semi educated 14 year old boy.

He went to the library and started to read books. He read up on science and found a DVY guide to making a wind generator.

Using a tractor fan, shock absorbers, PVC pipes, a bicycle frame and anything else he could lay his hands on, he then built a rudimentary wooden tower, put his home-made generator on the top, and eventually got one, and then four bulbs to light up. He is now known as “the boy who harnessed the wind” which is the title of his book.

He is a humble self taught boy who wanted a better life for his family and then his village.

William is from the Republic of Malawi, a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi.

He went from nearly nothing to being a famous writer and builder of wind generators.

He is called a genius now and has spoken in California and in Chicago on talk shows. If this story doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what can.

We can find intelligence anywhere. Children must have a chance to be educated.