William the Wind Farmer

By Raising Malawi staff on 10.07.09

In Malawi, a little ingenuity can go a long way.

In this fascinating TED video, 22 year old Malawian William Kankwamba tells us how he helped his family overcome famine and hardship on their farm in 2001. From spare parts he gathered from a junkyard, William built a windmill in his yard that powered irrigation for the farm and four light bulbs, a radio, and cell phone for his family home.

Like many Malawians, William's family survived by farming Maize, a tough living hindered by frequent droughts. They lacked the financial resources for electricity and were not able to provide for William's basic education. In fact, poverty forced him to abandon his schooling at the age of 14 because his family could no longer afford the fees. In spite of this, William plied on and became his own teacher, checking out science textbooks from the library to learn the physics he needed to build the windmill.

His creation quickly became a local and then international sensation. The attention he received helped him get the resources to improve upon the windmill's initial design and provided William with more educational opportunities. Solar panels now power wells for potable water and an irrigation system for the farming community.

William is the perfect example of the talent and resolve that Malawians are showing in face of hardship, and the reason why we're all working so hard to Raise Malawi. If we could provide even a few Malawians with the basic resources they need - we know that the sky is the limit in what they can achieve.

Congratulations William, we're all proud of you.