The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

When William Kamkwamba, was 14, his family in Malawi couldn’t afford school fees. At the library, he saw a windmill in a book called Using Energy. He realized electricity would help people in his village pump water, light their homes, charge cell phones - William saw that "A windmill meant more than just power, it was freedom."

So he salvaged materials to make his own windmill. Even his family thought he was nuts. The BBC reports, "People thought I was smoking marijuana," he said. "So I told them I was only making something for juju [magic].' Then they said: 'Ah, I see.'"

William also shocked himself working with the electricity generated by his windmill, a whimsical structure cobbled together from bike parts, plastic pipes, gum tree branches, and junked bike and tractor parts. But when he demonstrated his creation’s power with a light bulb, doubting neighbors not only cheered, they also lined up to charge their phones. William told TEDGlobal, "The lines led to bloggers, to reporters and finally to TED."

William is now 22, a student in Johannesburg, and co-author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which tells his story. As he tours for the book, I hope William inspires kids everywhere to see that possibility and persistence can fuel their dreams. See a problem in the world? In William’s words, “Trust yourself and believe. Whatever happens, don’t give up.”

Guardian reporter John Vidal notes that smart people like William use “traditional knowledge and practical resourcefulness” to innovate all over the developing world. He wonders whether people in rich countries could do as well at inventing sensible solutions from scratch with limited resources. What do you think?

Watch William Kamkwamba's appearance on The Daily Show this week: