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Malawi William Kamkwamba is a Malawian inventor and author renowned for his innovative projects aimed at improving the lives of his community.
Cofounded in 2008, this non-profit organization works with residents of the Masitala area on projects such as drilling wells for clean water, installing solar panels at schools and community centers, and helping young Malawians find solutions to farming challenges.
Kamkwamba was invited to speak at TEDGlobal 2007 in Arusha, Tanzania, after news of his windmill spread. His speech led to financial and mentoring support for his education.
Kamkwamba was invited to and attended the 2011 Google Science Fair introductory meeting as a guest speaker.
Kamkwamba is one of four recipients of the 2010 GO Ingenuity Award, a prize that promotes sharing innovations and skills with marginalized youth. With the grant, he held workshops in his home village.
In 2010, 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' was selected as a common book for all incoming students to read. William made an appearance at the university to discuss his book and life.
In 2010, 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' was selected as a common book for all incoming students to read. William made an appearance at the university to discuss his book and life.
In 2014, 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' was selected as the common book. William made an appearance at the university to discuss his book and life.
In 2014, 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' was selected as the common book. William made an appearance at the university to discuss his book and life.
William Kamkwamba's memoir 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' was adapted into a feature film in 2019, which was distributed by Netflix.
William Kamkwamba gave a lecture at the University of Notre Dame Conference Center on March 18, 2013, sponsored by various centers and colleges at the university, including the Center for Sustainable Energy, College of Science, College of Engineering, Center for Social Concerns, Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values, Office of Sustainability, and the College of Arts and Letters.
Malawi Matters partnered with the University of Notre Dame for William Kamkwamba's lecture event on March 18, 2013, which included a book signing and reception featuring displays from Malawian culture.
Better World Books partnered with the University of Notre Dame for William Kamkwamba's lecture event on March 18, 2013, which included a book signing and reception.
William Kamkwamba was born on August 5, 1987, in Dowa, Malawi. He grew up in the rural village of Masitala in a family that primarily relied on farming corn. His early life was marked by poverty and periods of drought and heavy rainfall, which led to poor harvests. These difficult conditions, combined with broader economic factors, contributed to a severe famine in Malawi starting in 2001, when Kamkwamba was 14 years old. Due to his family’s inability to afford tuition, he was forced to drop out of school. Despite this, Kamkwamba continued his education independently by borrowing books from a small village library. While studying, he discovered a book titled ‘_Using Energy_’ which, through its illustrations, inspired him to build a windmill.
Kamkwamba’s determination led him to construct a 16-foot (5-meter) high windmill using scrap materials he collected, including tractor and bicycle parts, plastic pipes, and tree branches. This innovative creation, completed in 2001, provided electricity to his family’s home, powering four lights and two radios. News of his invention spread, first locally in ‘_The Daily Times_’ in Malawi, then globally, bringing him recognition and support. This enabled him to return to school after a five-year hiatus. He later attended secondary schools in Malawi, the African Leadership Academy in Roodepoort, South Africa, graduating in 2010, and then Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he earned a degree in environmental studies in 2014.
Since his initial windmill, Kamkwamba has built additional windmills for generating electricity and pumping water in his village. In 2008, he cofounded the Moving Windmills Project, an organization focused on community development in the Masitala area. This project includes drilling wells for clean water, installing solar panels at schools and community centers for electricity, and working with young Malawians to tackle farming challenges. His memoir, ‘_The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind_’ (2009), co-authored with Bryan Mealer, was adapted into a children’s book in 2012 and a feature film in 2019 directed by and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.
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