African Dreams

William Kamkwamba was raised in Malawi, an African country where magical thoughts prevailed but modern technology was a mystery. From books he read, young William imagined building a windmill that might, one day, bring electricity and water to his village and drastically change the lives of his neighbors. Hoping to someday study science, his country was debilitated by famine that forced William to drop out of school and forage for food as thousands throughout the country died of starvation. However, William’s passion remained indefatigable and, using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, he ingeniously built a crude yet operable windmill that powered four lights and his radio. News of William’s achievement soon spread beyond his country’s borders, and the young boy who was once thought of as crazy became a hero to many around the world.