William Kamkwamba (image from African Leadership Academy)

Follow this link to read about and/or watch the video story of a 14 year-old Malawi drop-out, William Kamkwamba. William used borrowed library books and readily available materials to build a windmill to bring electricity to his family’s home. He has since built more windmills and added solar panels to their family compound, and is looking to spread his entrepreneurial energy efforts to other villages across the continent.

A truly inspiring story for us all!

At the African Leadership Academy website, it explains young Kamkwamba’s plan to build windmills and install solar panels, hatched after reading a couple of library books:

Using the knowledge he could gather from two textbooks at the local library and locally-available materials costing about 2200 Malawian Kwacha (approximately $15 USD), William began constructing a five-meter tall windmill outside his family’s modest home in rural Mastala village. “They all thought that maybe I’m going mad and that maybe I am crazy,” he says. But he persevered and two months later, he had built a windmill that could power two light bulbs and a radio for his family of 20. William’s neighbors soon noticed the sounds of Malawian reggae music emanating from his home.”

His entrepreneurial spirit continues!  William aspires to found a windmill company that can help bring clean energy across his native African continent.

Somehow, we think he’ll reach his dreams, and also help others achieve theirs, as well.

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