Malawian Teenager Teaches Himself How to Build a Windmill Out of Junk, Powers an Entire Town
At the age of 14, William Kamkwamba saw poverty in his village in Malawi, Africa. He was forced to quit school because his family couldn’t afford the $80/year price tag and, so, he went home to help his family work. Shortly after, he continued his scientific studies by approaching local libraries; it was here he saw a book with a windmill on it. “I thought: ‘That could be a defence against hunger. Maybe I should build one for myself,'” he says. He began building a turbine from spare bicycle parts, a tractor fan blade and an old shock absorber, and...
Read More






