A teenager's scrap-metal windmill in rural Malawi
After famine forced him out of school, 14-year-old William Kamkwamba used a library book and scrap parts to build a windmill that brought electric light to his family's home.
The small thing
Unable to afford school fees, Kamkwamba borrowed science books from a small local library, including one called Using Energy, and began collecting scrap to build a wind turbine.
The problem
Like most rural households in Malawi at the time, the Kamkwamba family had no electricity. During the famine of the early 2000s the family could not afford food or school fees, and William dropped out of school (Gulf News; Snopes).
Why William started
Kamkwamba was thinking about how to get electricity at home, and found a book on energy in the village library (Wall Street Journal; Gulf News). He built the windmill at around 14 years old.
What they did
He built a tower from blue-gum tree trunks, blades from flattened plastic pipes and a turbine from bicycle parts (Wall Street Journal). The windmill powered lights and a radio in the family home; by 2007 the family's setup ran light bulbs, a TV and a radio. A later windmill powered a water pump to irrigate crops during drought (Snopes, citing Malawi's Daily Times).
His story became the memoir The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2009) and a Netflix film. He went on to the African Leadership Academy and Dartmouth College, graduating in 2014.
What changed
The family gained electric light and, later, water for irrigation. His mother told the Wall Street Journal that people first laughed at him and that their lives were much happier afterwards. Through the Moving Windmills Project, he now works on education, agriculture and sustainability in Malawi and plans an innovation centre for young people (Gulf News, 2025). Wider community impact has not been independently measured.
What they learned
Kamkwamba has told audiences that challenges are inevitable when starting out, and that young people should not let them stop them from pursuing their goals.
“I got information about a windmill, and I try and I made it.”William Kamkwamba, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal (republished by YaleGlobal Online)
Copy this idea
Practical guidance written by our editors from the sources below. Adapt it to your place, and check local rules and safety first.
- Problem addressed
- No electricity for basic lighting, phone charging or a radio.
- What to do
- Learn how small wind or solar systems work and, with supervision, build a simple demonstration turbine; for daily use, consider proven small solar kits.
- Materials and resources
- Library or online guides, salvaged bicycle parts, a small dynamo or generator, wood or metal for a tower, wiring, a battery.
- Approximate cost
- Low
- Skills
- Basic mechanics and electrics; patience for trial and error.
- Time
- Weeks to months for a first working model.
- People needed
- One person can start; a teacher, mentor or school club helps.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Risks and limitations
- Tall towers can fall and spinning blades can injure; electrical wiring and batteries can cause shocks or fires. Always work with an experienced adult or technician.
- How to adapt it
- Schools and youth clubs can run small renewable energy projects; communities can pool resources for a shared charging point.
- Lessons learned
- Start with what is available, keep learning from books and others, and expect early doubts from people around you.
Why it matters
One home-made windmill does not solve energy poverty. But Kamkwamba's story shows how curiosity, a library and salvaged materials can bring small-scale renewable power to a household, and it has encouraged many young people to try practical problem-solving.
What didn't work
He had to leave school because of the famine, and neighbours initially laughed at his project (Wall Street Journal). He has said he faced many challenges when he started.
Editor's note
Kamkwamba is alive and in September 2025 was leading the Moving Windmills Project in Malawi (Gulf News). Coordinates are for Kasungu town, the nearest town centre; the famine is dated 2001 in some sources and 2002 in others.
Sources: how do we know?
Evidence level: Documented. Supported by reliable published sources such as UN agencies, award bodies and reputable journalism. Not yet independently re-verified by our editors. What the person says and what independent sources establish are attributed separately in the text.
- reputable journalism
A young tinkerer builds a windmill, electrifying a nation — Sarah Childress, The Wall Street Journal (republished by YaleGlobal Online), 31 December 2007Supports: Masitala village; materials (blue-gum, plastic pipes, bicycle parts); what the windmill powered; dropped out over fees; mother's quotes; quote from Kamkwamba. - reputable journalism
From famine to fame: Malawi inventor shares story at Sharjah forum — Aghaddir Ali, Gulf News, 11 September 2025Supports: Built windmill at 14 during famine; book 'Using Energy' from local library; Moving Windmills Project and planned innovation centre; still active in 2025; quotes on challenges. - reputable journalism
Snopes fact-check on William Kamkwamba's windmill — Snopes, 2016Supports: Famine forced him out of school; library science books; second windmill powering an irrigation pump; graduated from Dartmouth in 2014. - organisational
How I harnessed the wind (TEDGlobal 2009) — William Kamkwamba, TED, July 2009Supports: At age 14, in poverty and famine, he built a windmill to power his family's home.