Look Who it Was Random video

How William Kamkwamba created an electricity-producing windmill

1,160 views · Published 11 February 2015 · 13:12 · Indexed 24 October 2026

Channel: The Aspen Institute · 2015 · News & Politics

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June 26, 2009, The Aspen Ideas Festival, 2009.

What inspires a great idea? Necessity? Extraordinary circumstances? Passion? What makes one person find hope and courage in circumstances that cause so many others to despair? How does one young person spark life-enhancing change in a village, a country, the world?

On July 3, 2009, the INSPIRED TO ACTION event at Hotel Jerome in Aspen, CO, will offer a personal introduction to five remarkable individuals who have become leaders in their generation as they harness the wind in Africa, bring women’s rights to Afghanistan, battle the number one genetic killer of children and help improve the lives of orphaned children in Peru. Although their journeys and challenges are markedly different, they share many traits: determination, resilience, spirit and a great urgency for change.

For example, when William Kamkwamba was forced to quit school at age 14 because his family couldn’t afford the $80 fee, his future seemed limited, even by the standards of his farming village in Malawi. But not to be deterred, this born inventor used a library book about energy as his guide to create an electricity-producing windmill to power his family’s home.

It was a bit like tilting at windmills at first and he received little support. “They all thought that maybe I am going mad and maybe I’m going crazy. I didn’t receive much support on the first time,” Kamkwamba explains.

His prototype windmill, created from a broken bicycle, tractor fan blade, old shock absorber and blue gum trees, powered four light bulbs and two radios, and charged neighbors’ mobile phones. His second attempt—a 12-meter windmill to catch the wind above the trees—added a car battery for storage, homemade light switches and circuit breakers. He also experimented with a radio transmitter to broadcast popular music interspersed with HIV prevention messages. For more information, visit William’s Blog: www.williamkamkwamba.com

The Global Nomads Group event is part of the 2009 Aspen Ideas Festival roster of offerings that focus on 
IDEAS THAT WORK. Anna Deavere Smith acclaimed actor, playwright, teacher and author, will moderate the evening.

The Aspen Ideas Festival is the nation's premier, public gathering place for leaders from around the globe and across many disciplines to engage in deep and inquisitive discussion of the ideas and issues that both shape our lives and challenge our times. Learn more at: http://www.aspenideas.org/

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