GenV Campaigns

What do a bicycle parts, blue-gum trees, PVC pipes, copper wires and a car battery have in common? They are all parts of a windmill William Kamkwamba first built when he was 14 years old.An illustration of determination, persistence, and a bias towards action, William, now 24 years old, is on a mission to provide electricity to his country of Malawi one windmill at a time. In a country where only two percent of residents have electricity, William’s quest is a big challenge.

Economic and resource hardships, however, haven’t stopped him from making headway towards alleviating energy poverty in his village. He has since built other windmills – the tallest reaching 39 feet – that powers his family’s 10 six-watt light bulbs, TV set, and radio. His current project involves powering a drill and a pump to deliver clean water from wells.

How did William become an internationally recognized changemaker for his community? He dreamt big but started small.

Having to drop out of school because his family could not afford the tuition, one day he came across a textbook, Using Energy, at the local library which contained pictures and diagrams of windmills.

“I got information about a windmill, and I try and I made it,” William explained at the TED conference in Tanzania.

“What it comes down to is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration,” Thomas Edison explained, and William certainly embodied this maxim. He improvised the design based on what he found at the local scrap yard and figured out how to combine all the moving parts before erecting his first windmill. Can you believe that he heated strips of PVC pipes over hot coals to flatten them for the blades?

“With a windmill, we’d finally release ourselves from the troubles of darkness and hunger. . . A windmill meant more than just power, it was freedom,” he told Wired. Freedom from the toxic fumes in kerosene lamps. Freedom from the need to spend money on those fuels. Freedom from having to travel long distances to fetch water.

Freedom from getting sick because of water contamination. And soon enough, freedom from the tyranny of unpredictable weather patterns that causes droughts now that an irrigation system is being set up.

These are some of the lifestyle changes that the villagers enjoyed because of William’s ingenuity and persistence. It all started with a leap of faith toward action and the courage to keep going. Think big, start small.

Do you have an issue that you care about and want to solve it using technology? Are you currently working on a solution?

Apply to the Technology for a Better World Campaign by May 9th!