Skip to content
  • About
  • Partner with Us
  • Indonesia
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Latest
  • Topics
  • News
  • Brief
  • Interview
  • Opinion
  • Figure
  • Infographic
  • Video
  • Community
  • Partner
  • Press Release
  • Youth
  • Global
  • Featured
  • Figure

William Kamkwamba, the African Youth Who Seizes the Wind

When William Kamkwamba was 13, his East African country, Malawi, was in a famine. His parents could not pay for school because drought attacked their fields. William Kamkwamba had to leave school and drop out. 
by Zia Ul Haq August 13, 2021
William Kamkwamba and his windmill made of recycled bike wheels

William Kamkwamba with his windmill

Even though he left school, William Kamkwamba never stopped learning. He started cultivating new knowledge through books at the local library. At 14, William spent most of his time there. He was not familiar with computers, let alone search engines like Google to help him learn. However, he read many books, especially in the science category.

One day, William came upon a book in English titled “Using Energy”. He was not familiar with English either, so mostly, he looked at the pictures. The book cover had a windmill, and it illustrated how wind power could generate electricity.

William Kamkwamba squatting in front of a hand-crafted machine
William and his first windmill | Photo: Klikunic

Wiliam then realized that his village needed water and electricity. Farming was in critical condition because of drought. There was no water pump. Even electricity was scarce, with only 2% of the villagers enjoying the luxury.

From his books, William learned the simple idea of building wind power electricity generators. He then started to build his first windmill from used goods. He used leftover woods from construction, a secondhand mill from a tractor, and old bicycle wheels.

“People said I was crazy. They thought I was doing drugs. They crowded around me, curious about what I was making,” said William. “But once the windmill started spinning, kids cheered.”

Once the lights came on, the villagers were confused. “How could electricity come from the wind?” William recounted his story at TED-Talk.

 

A windmill made of wood between two houses with banana trees
The first windmill at William’s village

William’s first windmill powered four lamps and recharged his neighbor’s phone. He then made three more windmills. Thanks to his innovation, William’s village could feel how electricity benefits their daily lives. Houses in his village received enough power for lights at night.

William started making bigger windmills. He also built a solar-powered pump to irrigate the village’s fields.

Wind-powered electricity generators were not a new finding. However, the way William created a solution for his village’s problems with windmills was a feat on its own. An appreciation came in the form of a full-ride scholarship from Dartmouth College in Hanover, USA, for William to study at their environmental studies program. William graduated in 2014.

After graduation, William started working. He also kept working for the villagers in his hometown. He initiated the Moving Windmills Innovation Center project in Kasungu, Malawi. The project nurtures initiatives on applied technology to solve social problems.

William Kamkwamba after finishing the electrical circuit of his first windmill

“Challenges are not made for me to stop dreaming. They exist to make me stronger in reaching for my dreams,” said William.

His inspiring story is documented in an autobiography published by the New York Times, titled “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”. It is now also adapted to a movie with the same title, produced by Netflix. William Kamkwamba’s story, as a book and a movie, is a success story that inspires youth all over the world to keep learning no matter what. 

William’s autobiography

Translator and Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

To read the original version of this article in Indonesian, click here.


Subscribe to Green Network Asia
Strengthen your personal and professional development with cross-sectoral insights on sustainability-related issues and sustainable development across the Asia Pacific and beyond.
Select Your Subscription Plan
Zia Ul Haq
Reporter at Green Network Asia | Website |  + postsBio

Zia is a Contributing Author at Green Network Asia. He graduated from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta with a bachelor's degree in Islamic Education. He is a Learning Companion at Qaryah Thayyibah Learning Community (KBQT).

  • Zia Ul Haq
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/ziatuwel/
    Green Action of Planting Trees by Sakola Wanno, Layanibumi, and Green Network Asia
  • Zia Ul Haq
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/ziatuwel/
    ‘You Are What You Eat’, FOLO Farm Takes Healthy Food Seriously
  • Zia Ul Haq
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/ziatuwel/
    Sakola Wanno in Conserving the Nature and Culture of Sumba Island
  • Zia Ul Haq
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/ziatuwel/
    Maggha Karaneya Spreads Love for Abandoned Infants

Continue Reading

Previous: Grab Declares a Commitment to Sustainability with Its First ESG Report and New Green Initiatives
Next: IPCC New Report Calls for Strong and Immediate Action to Limit Irreversible Climate Change Effects

Related Stories

Close-up of seedlings growing in pots How India’s National Agroforestry Policy Helps Tackle Land Degradation and More
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

How India’s National Agroforestry Policy Helps Tackle Land Degradation and More

by Attiatul Noor June 20, 2025
The rapid development in AI technologies must be supported with AI regulation to ensure responsible usage. Establishing AI Regulation to Support Responsible Tech Usage
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Establishing AI Regulation to Support Responsible Tech Usage

by Ayu Nabilah June 19, 2025
a wilted sunflower Comprehensive and Participatory Drought Monitoring for Improved Disaster Mitigation
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Comprehensive and Participatory Drought Monitoring for Improved Disaster Mitigation

by Kresentia Madina June 18, 2025
multiple megaphones attached on a pillar The Role of Risk Communication for Better Disaster Preparedness
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

The Role of Risk Communication for Better Disaster Preparedness

by Kresentia Madina June 17, 2025
two hands joining puzzle pieces Indonesia-UN Collaboration to Support Job Creation and Social Protection
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Indonesia-UN Collaboration to Support Job Creation and Social Protection

by Abul Muamar June 16, 2025
a photo of Umea town landscape. How the City of Umeå Addresses Gender Inequality in Urban Areas
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

How the City of Umeå Addresses Gender Inequality in Urban Areas

by Ayu Nabilah and Kresentia Madina June 13, 2025

About Us

  • GNA Founder’s Letter
  • GNA In-House Team
  • GNA Author Network
  • GNA Press Release Guidelines
  • GNA Op-ed Article Guidelines
  • GNA Community Content Guidelines
  • GNA Internship
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
© 2021-2025 Green Network Asia