A simple machine that changed my life: The Windmill

 
     
 

When William Kamkwamba, from Malawi, was 14, he built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap, working from rough plans he found in a library book called 'Using Energy' and modifying them to fit his needs. The windmill he built powers four lights and two radios in his family home.

 
   
 
       

"I looked at my father and looked at those dry fields; it was a future I could not accept. I was determined to do everything possible to receive an education. A book put knowledge in my hands. It said, 'windmill could pump water and generate electricity'. Pumping water meant irrigation, a defence against hunger. So I decided to build a windmill. Many people, including my mother, said I was crazy".

"I'd like to say something to all the people out there like me, to Africans and the poor who are struggling with your dreams, maybe one day you will watch this on the Internet. I say to you, trust yourself and believe, whatever happens, don't give up".