The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba is a true story of a school dropout who built his own windmill for electricity just by being inspired by and reading books in the local library.
Kamkwamba was a Malawi youth who grew up with the real challenges of hunger, disease, and poverty. When drought caused crops to fail, there was country-wide starvation. With no crop, there was no money for school and Kamkwamba had to drop out of school. He spent time in the library reading and re-reading Using Energy. He was curious to make a windmill work and wanted to bring electricity to his home. With no money, he scavenged the materials for his creation. With the success of his windmill, he caught the attention of the media who spread his story in print and radio.
With public recognition, he was invited to do a TED talk. He was able to attract sponsors for his education and for travel to the USA. He is an example of what curiosity, creativity, and determination can do even without resources. A most excellent and inspiring story.
