William Kamkwamba (born on August 5, 1987) is a Malawian inventor, engineer, and author. He gained fame in his country in 2006 when he built a windmill to generate electricity for his family’s home in Wimbe (32 km east of Kasungu). He used a eucalyptus trunk, bicycle parts, and materials scavenged from a nearby landfill. Following this achievement, he went on to build a solar-powered water pump that provided clean water for his village, along with two additional windmills, the tallest of which stood twelve meters high.
Born into a relatively poor family that relied on agriculture, William enjoyed tinkering with recycled materials alongside his friends Gilbert and Geoffrey. His autobiography, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” reveals that his father was initially a rough and belligerent man who underwent a transformation after converting to Christianity. In 2001, a devastating famine forced William to leave school, and due to the family’s financial struggles, he could not afford to return. In a desperate effort to continue his education, he frequented the village library, where he discovered a true passion for electronics. Prior to that, he had started a small business repairing radios, but it brought in little income.
At the age of 14 in 2002, after reading a book titled “Using Energy,” William experimented by crafting a makeshift windmill using a cheap dynamo that provided some electricity to his family’s home. Local farmers and journalists took an interest in this “spinning device,” and Kamkwamba’s fame spread internationally. He was featured in the Hacktivate blog and participated in the first Maker Faire Africa event in Ghana in August 2009.
In 2010, Kamkwamba was one of the four recipients of the Go Ingenuity Award from the American NGO GO Campaign. The award recognized inventors, artists, and makers who promote sharing innovations and skills with marginalized youth in developed countries. With the prize money, William established workshops in his hometown, teaching young people how to build windmills and water pumps.
In 2007, when The Daily Times published an article about Kamkwamba’s windmill, his story gained traction in the blogosphere, leading Emeka Okafor, the director of TED conferences, to invite him to speak at TEDGlobal 2007 in Arusha, Tanzania. His speech garnered excitement, and several venture capitalists pledged to support his secondary education. His story was further covered by Sarah Childress of The Wall Street Journal. William went on to attend the African Bible Colleges in Lilongwe and later received a scholarship to study at the African Leadership Academy. In 2014, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College in the United States.
Among other public appearances, William Kamkwamba was interviewed on The Daily Show on October 7, 2009, where he was compared to the fictional hero MacGyver for his impressive scientific ingenuity. In 2011, he spoke as a guest at the inauguration of the Google Science Fair.
William Kamkwamba’s book, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” was selected in 2013 for the 1 Book, 1 Community award by the Loudoun County Public Library network in Virginia. The program promotes dialogue and sharing experiences through discussions about a chosen book. Copies of the book were purchased by libraries and aid funds for this occasion.
His life story is the subject of the documentary film “William and the Windmill,” which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2013 South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas.
In 2013, Time magazine listed him among the “30 People Under 30 Who Are Changing the World.”
In 2010, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” was designated as required reading for new students by a department at the University of Florida. The same occurred in 2014 at Auburn University and the University of Michigan. On these occasions, the author made appearances at the respective universities to discuss the book and his life.
In 2019, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” was adapted into a film titled “Le Garçon qui dompta le vent” (The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind). Written, directed, and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, the film received the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
-
UNE ÉOLIENNE EN AFRIQUES
13.000 CFADécouvrez “Une Éolienne en Afrique” – Une histoire de courage, d’innovation et d’espoir qui transcende les frontières et les limites. Plongez dans le Malawi, un pays où l’espérance de vie est courte et le développement limité. Dans ce récit inspirant, William Kamkwamba, un jeune homme déterminé, découvre dans une bibliothèque un manuel technique, “Using Energy”, qui changera à jamais le destin de son village.
Armé d’une roue de vélo, d’un câble et d’une dynamo de bicyclette, William se lance dans la construction d’une éolienne, même si cela peut sembler humble à première vue. Mais cette simple invention fournit de l’électricité et de l’eau à son village, répandant ainsi l’espoir et l’émerveillement à travers la région, le pays et au-delà.
Les médias se sont rapidement emparés de cette incroyable histoire, relayée dans The Guardian et le Wall Street Journal. Cependant, il fallait un livre pour capturer toute l’étendue de cette aventure extraordinaire. Bryan Mealer, correspondant de guerre chevronné pour l’Associated Press, nous plonge dans les profondeurs de l’Afrique, partageant les défis et les triomphes de William avec une plume captivante.
“Une Éolienne en Afrique” est bien plus qu’un simple livre. C’est un récit qui transcende les frontières culturelles et géographiques, rappelant à tous que l’innovation et la détermination peuvent venir des endroits les plus improbables. Laissez-vous inspirer par cette histoire vraie qui nous rappelle la sagesse biblique : “Car rien n’est impossible à Dieu” (Luc 1:37).
Rejoignez William Kamkwamba et Bryan Mealer dans cette aventure extraordinaire. Plongez dans les pages de “Une Éolienne en Afrique” et découvrez comment une simple éolienne a pu changer la vie d’un village, inspirant des millions de personnes à croire en un avenir meilleur. Disponible maintenant dans toutes les librairies. Ne manquez pas cette occasion de découvrir l’espoir qui se cache dans les pages de ce livre unique.