Windpower Prodigy Blows Malawi Away

Kerry Trueman December 12, 2007 | 4:05 pm EST

William Kamkwamba, a 20-year-old Malawian, dropped out of school at 14 when his family could no longer afford the $80-a-year tuition, but that didn’t stop him from learning. A picture of a windmill in an old textbook inspired Kamkwamba to teach himself how to make a windmill out of bicycle parts and blue-gum trees.

His family laughed at him””at first. But now the homemade windmill powers all their electrical appliances, and his siblings can stay up late to study without having to rely on paraffin lamps. Kamkwamba became a local hero, sharing his expertise with others and building more windmills to help power homes and schools.

And Kamkwamba’s back in school, now, too; after stories of his extraordinary achievement hit the blogosphere, the entrepreneurs of TED (Technology Entertainment Design) called on him to attend a conference in Tanzania where he told his story and gained the support of a group of backers impressed by his zeal for windpower. They’re paying his tuition at an international academy, giving Kamkwamba’s quixotic quest a classic storybook ending.