How pioneering African inventor is powering winds of change with turbine made from scrap

William Kamkwamba hails value of education in driving his mission to transform lives in his native Malawi

Malawian inventor William Kamkwamba shared his story in Sharjah this week. Antonie Robertson / The National

An inspirational African inventor who built a wind turbine out of scrapyard junk to deliver life-saving electricity to his drought-stricken village is on a mission to help future generations realise their dreams.

William Kamkwamba, who brought hope to his community in Malawi with nothing but determination and a stack of library books at the age of 14, told his remarkable story that was turned into a book and a movie with delegates at an event in Sharjah this week.

Back in 2001, Mr Kamkwamba was dealing with the harsh realities of poverty and famine and faced the prospect of dropping out of school when he found salvation in his local library and decided to read up on wind energy.

“A lot of people were starving to death in that time. My parents couldn’t afford to pay for my education because they used the money to buy food to feed us,” Mr Kamkwamba said at the Sharjah International Communication Forum on Wednesday.

He did not want to follow in the footsteps of his father by becoming a farmer, a path that was not reaping rewards for his people. “They are not farmers by choice,” he said.

William Kamkwamba's remarkable feats were the subject of a book which was later adapted for the big screen. Antonie Robertson / The National

He started studying at his village library and wind energy books caught his attention.

Power of invention

“I believed if I have education, I can do whatever I want in my life. I was interested in fact that wind can generate electricity,” he added.

He made a wind turbine to power electrical appliances in his family's house in Wimbe, 23km east of Kasungu, using blue gum trees, bicycle parts and materials collected in a local scrapyard. “I didn’t have money so I went to the garage yard searching for materials to build a windmill,” he said.

What began as a small light in his home soon became a beacon of hope that spread throughout the village.

Neighbours, spurred into action by his ingenuity, helped him expand the windmills to bring power and irrigation to the entire village.

William Kamkwamba with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie and director Chiwetel Ejiofor at a special screening of The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind in New York in 2019. AFP

The extraordinary feats of Mr Kamkwamba and his community changed lives and won international attention.

He earned a scholarship to the African leadership academy, graduated from Dartmouth College in the US and served as an example to others to not put limits on their ambitions.

“Young people might face similar challenges to what I had but don’t allow those challenges to take away your goals and dreams,” the 38-year-old told The National.

“Everything is possible if you put your mind into it and you will be able to achieve. All these successful people we see today were able to succeed in things they did because they didn’t give up on their dreams.”

Global attention

Maxwell Simba portraying a young William Kamkwamba in 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind'. Photo: Netflix

Mr Kamkwamba’s incredible story was turned into a book entitled The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which was adapted into a 2019 film directed by Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.

The credits are yet to roll on his incredible story, however, as he feels he has much more to achieve. “The forum aligned with projects we are doing in Malawi like education, agriculture and sustainability. I’m very happy to participate and share my story,” he said.

His future plan focuses on building an innovation centre in his country to provide a platform for people who have ideas and solutions for everyday challenges in their communities.

The Kamkwamba farmhouse powered by a network of windmills and solar panels. Getty Images

“I wish I had a mentor when I started creating the windmill,” he said. “I want to help young people and guiding them in their path from early stages.”

Forum takes centre stage

The 14th International Government Communication Forum – which concludes on Thursday – is being held at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme “Communication for Quality of Life”.

The event has brought together more than 200 speakers from around the world and features 110 activities focusing on food, security, public health, education, sustainability and the green economy.

Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi gave an address on the forum's opening day, charting her decades of public service and highlighting the support of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.

“Today we have 24 institutions serving the community from the beginning to today, and the door is open for more,” she said. “I believe that every person has the freedom of opinion, so we must listen to them, especially children.”

She spoke about establishing the Big Heart Foundation, one of the country's largest philanthropic organisations, with the aim of delivering aid to countries around the world.

“Rather than relying on time-bound campaigns, we do not put money in the hands of institutions or individuals in these countries. The foundation studies the needs in different countries, and we do not take a single penny from these countries,” she added.