Name: How I harnessed the wind
Uploaded: 2009-09-23T08:21:00Z
Duration: 5 min 42 s
Description: At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. Now at 22, William Kamkwamba, who speaks at TED, here, for the second time, shares in his own words the moving tale of invention that changed his life.

At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. Now at 22, William Kamkwamba, who speaks at TED, here, for the second time, shares in his own words the moving tale of invention that changed his life.

How I harnessed the wind

Amid famine and poverty, a determined teenager built a windmill from scrap to power his family's home and irrigate their fields. With no access to computers or the internet and minimal English, he relied on library diagrams to guide his invention. His homemade windmill brought light and water to his village, inspiring many to line up just to charge their phones. This story reveals how perseverance and creativity can transform even the bleakest circumstances.