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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer was simply inspiring.  One of those books that I knew I would like if I just took the time to sit down with it.  And one that I wouldn’t have been aware of had it not been for the book blogosphere.

At the age of 14, William Kamkwamba was forced to drop out of school because his family was unable to pay the $80 school fees.  Having a very inquisitive mind and not wanting to fall behind his peers, the library quickly became his best friend.  Checking out book after book, particularly books about energy, he would studiously analyze each one.  Most were in English, so he would have to infer the text through the diagrams and illustrations.

In 2002, his home country of Malawi was struck with a severe famine which left his family farm devastated and thousands died of starvation.  Each day his family ate less and less.   But yet with an empty stomach, William continued to study.  When he saw his first picture of a windmill, he was blown away.  Here was a machine that would use their abdunant natural resource of wind to create energy, thus bringing electricity and running water to his home. With electricity, his family could accomplish more in the evening hours at home and with running water they could irrigate and harvest a second crop.

William foraged for scrap metal, bicycle parts, and other components that he would need to build his own windmill.  He received no support from his village or even his family, as they all thought he was crazy.  Building the windmill took patience and perseverance but his work paid off.  Soon the villagers were all marveling when he began to power his radio and light his home.  And what blew my mind away was that he was FOURTEEN!  He stuck with this project for months and self-taught himself everything that he needed to know.  William blew me away.

The best part about the book is that what could ultimately be a dry and technical read – “How to Build a Windmill 101″ – was a great narrative.  I couldn’t put it down.  William’s story is a testament of what one person can accomplish if they don’t give up in the face of opposition.  It’s also a testament to the thought that with knowledge comes power.  And it also reminds me, the Western reader, that electricity is something that I shouldn’t take for granted.  When I flick a switch, it’s something that I don’t even think about.  The light comes on.  But for Williams’ Malawi village, electricity is something that seemed out of their reach.  That is,  until a fourteen year old boy, changed it all.

Here are a few videos to whet your appetite for the book.  This is the first public appearance that William Kamkwamba made at age 19 at TEDGlobal 2007. As he wrote about this event in the book, I really liked to watch this video:

Two years later, he spoke at the same event again. I loved seeing his transformation, his confidence, and his message at the end – “Trust yourself and believe. Don’t give up.”

A Moving Windmills short based on the full-length documentary of the same name, Moving Windmills: The William Kamkwamba Story which is currently in production:

Take the time to watch the videos and let me know what you think.  Have you read the book?  What was most inspiring to you?

Links of interest:  William Kamkwamba website, on twitter, more book blogger reviews. buildOn.org is the charity organization which Moving Windmils project has partnered with to rebuild Kamkwamba primary school. I read this book as part of the water theme for the Social Justice Challenge.
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Publisher: William Morrow.  September 29, 2009.
Hardcover, 288 pages. ISBN 0061730327
Source copy: Library
The Boy Who Harnessed the Windis available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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