William Kamkwamba is an inventor, engineer and best-selling author from Malawi. Kamkwamba is recognised for building an electricity-producing windmill to power his family home at the age of 14 after being forced to drop out of school.
Kamkwamba was educated at Wimbe Primary School, completing 8th grade and was then accepted to Kachokolo secondary school. Due to severe famine in 2001, his family lacked the funds to pay the annual school fees. For five years he was unable to go to school.
At 14 years old, Kamkwamba borrowed an 8th-grade American textbook, 'Using Energy', and this inspired him to build a windmill to power his family’s home and obviate the need for kerosene. First, he built a prototype using a radio motor, then his initial 5-meter windmill out of a broken bicycle, tractor fan blade, old shock absorber, and blue gum trees. After hooking the windmill to a car battery for storage, Kamkwamba was able to power four light bulbs and charge neighbours’ mobile phones. The windmill was later extended to 12 meters to better catch the wind above the trees. A third windmill pumped grey water for irrigation.
Subsequent projects have included clean water, malaria prevention, solar power and lighting for the six homes in his family compound; a deep water well with a solar powered pump for clean water, a drip irrigation system.
The project drew international interest as Emeka Okafor, program director for TEDGlobal, invited Kamkwamba to give a presentation at one of her conferences. Kamkwamba’s presentation led to additional mentors, donors, and companies supporting his education and further projects. Netflix recently picked up his story and crafted it into a film.
Kamkwamba graduated from Dartmouth College in 2014 and started his tenure at Ideo.org as a Global Fellow. Kamkwamba's time at Ideo focused on Human Centered Design and sent him around the world working on projects ranging from sanitation in India to gender-based violence prevention in Kenya. He is now working with WiderNet to develop appropriate technology curriculum that will allow people to bridge the gap between "knowing" and "doing". WiderNet will distribute the content through eGranaries around Malawi and across the continent.
