ABOUT THE SPEAKER
William Kamkwamba - Inventor
To power his family's home, young William Kamkwamba built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap -- starting him on a journey detailed in the book and film "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind."

Why you should listen

William Kamkwamba, from Malawi, is a born inventor. When he was 14, he built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap, working from rough plans he found in a library book called Using Energy and modifying them to fit his needs. The windmill he built powers four lights and two radios in his family home.

After reading about Kamkwamba on Mike McKay's blog Hactivate (which picked up the story from a local Malawi newspaper), TEDGlobal Conference Director Emeka Okafor spent several weeks tracking him down at his home in Masitala Village, Wimbe, and invited him to attend TEDGlobal on a fellowship. Onstage, Kamkwamba talked about his invention and shared his dreams: to build a larger windmill to help with irrigation for his entire village, and to go back to school.

Following Kamkwamba's moving talk, there was an outpouring of support for him and his promising work. Members of the TED community got together to help him improve his power system (by incorporating solar energy), and further his education through school and mentorships. Subsequent projects have included clean water, malaria prevention, solar power and lighting for the six homes in his family compound; a deep-water well with a solar-powered pump for clean water; and a drip irrigation system. Kamkwamba himself returned to school, and is now attending the African Leadership Academy, a new pan-African prep school outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

Kamkwamba's story is documented in his autobiography, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. A  documentary about Kamkwamba, called William and the Windmill, won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury award at SXSW in 2013 (watch a trailer ). You can support his work and other young inventors at MovingWindmills.org.


More profile about the speaker
William Kamkwamba | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2009

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind

William Kamkwamba: Kako sam upregnuo vjetar

Filmed:
2,717,871 views

U dobi od 14 godina, u siromaštvu i gladi, jedan dečko iz Malavija izgradio je vjetranjaču za napajanje kuće svoje obitelji. Sada, s 22., William Kamkwamba na TED konferenciji po drugi put priča svoju pronalazačku bajku koja mu je promijenila život.
- Inventor
To power his family's home, young William Kamkwamba built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap -- starting him on a journey detailed in the book and film "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind." Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Thank you.
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Hvala vam.
00:15
Two yearsgodina agoprije, I stoodstajao on the TEDTED stagefaza in ArushaArusha, TanzaniaTanzanija.
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Prije dvije godine sam stajao na TED-ovoj pozornici u Aruši, u Tanzaniji.
00:19
I spokegovorio very brieflykratko about one of my proudestNajponosniji creationskreacije.
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Govorio sam kratko o jednoj od svojih kreacija.
00:24
It was a simplejednostavan machinemašina that changedpromijenjen my life.
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Bio je to jednostavni stroj koji je promjenila moj život.
00:28
Before that time,
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Prije tog trenutka
00:30
I had never been away from my home
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nikada nisam bio daleko od svoje kuće
00:33
in MalawiMalavi.
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u Malaviju.
00:36
I had never used a computerračunalo.
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Nikada prije nisam koristio računalo.
00:38
I had never seenvidio an InternetInternet.
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Nikada prije nisam vidio Internet.
00:42
On the stagefaza that day, I was so nervousživčani.
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Tog dana na sceni, bio sam jako nervozan.
00:47
My Englishengleski lostizgubljen,
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Moj engleski se izgubio,
00:51
I wanted to vomitpovraćanje.
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htio sam povraćati.
00:53
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
00:57
I had never been surroundedokružen by so manymnogi azunguazungu,
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Nikada prije nisam bio okružen s toliko gospode,
01:01
whitebijela people.
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bijelih ljudi.
01:03
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
01:06
There was a storypriča I wouldn'tne bi tell you then.
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Postojala je priča koju vam tada ne bih ispričao.
01:09
But well, I'm feelingosjećaj good right now.
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Ali na sreću, trenutačno se osjećam super.
01:12
I would like to sharePodjeli that storypriča todaydanas.
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Želio bih danas s vama podjeliti tu priču.
01:15
We have sevensedam childrendjeca in my familyobitelj.
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Imamo sedmero djece u mojoj obitelji.
01:17
All sisterssestre, exceptingOsim me.
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Sve sestre, osim mene.
01:21
This is me with my dadtata when I was a little boydječak.
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Ovo sam ja s mojim tatom kada sam bio maleni dječak.
01:26
Before I discoveredotkriven the wondersčuda of scienceznanost,
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Prije nego šta sam otkrio čuda znanosti,
01:29
I was just a simplejednostavan farmerseljak
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bio sam običan farmer
01:31
in a countryzemlja of poorsiromašan farmerspoljoprivrednici.
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u zemlji siromašnih farmera.
01:34
Like everyonesvatko elsedrugo, we grewrastao maizekukuruz.
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Kao i svi ostali, uzgajali smo kukuruz.
01:38
One yeargodina our fortunebogatstvo turnedokrenut very badloše.
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Jedne godine imali smo jako lošu sreću.
01:43
In 2001 we experiencediskusan an awfulgrozan famineglad.
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2001. bili smo suočeni sa strašnom oskudicom i glađu.
01:48
WithinU roku od fivepet monthsmjeseci all MalawiansMalawians beganpočeo to starveod gladi to deathsmrt.
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Tijekom narednih pet mjeseci svi Malavijci su gladovali do smrti.
01:55
My familyobitelj atejeli one mealobrok perpo day, at night.
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Moja obitelj je imala po jedan obrok dnevno, i to po noći.
01:59
Only threetri swallowslastavice of nsimansima for eachsvaki one of us.
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Samo tri zalogaja kukuruznog "nsima" za svakoga od nas.
02:03
The foodhrana passesprolazi throughkroz our bodiestjelesa.
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Hrana je prolazila našim tjelima.
02:05
We droppad down to nothing.
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Polako smo padali ka ničemu.
02:09
In MalawiMalavi, the secondarysporedan schoolškola,
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U Malaviju, srednja škola,
02:12
you have to payplatiti schoolškola feesnaknada.
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se plaćala.
02:14
Because of the hungerglad, I was forcedprisiljeni to droppad out of schoolškola.
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Zbog gladi sam bio prisiljen napustiti školu.
02:20
I lookedgledao at my fatherotac
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Pogledao sam u svoga oca,
02:22
and lookedgledao at those drysuho fieldspolja.
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i u presušena polja.
02:24
It was the futurebudućnost I couldn'tne mogu acceptprihvatiti.
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Bila je to budućnost koju jednostavno nisam mogao prihvatiti.
02:28
I feltosjećala very happysretan to be at the secondarysporedan schoolškola,
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Osjećao sam se jako sretno pohađajući srednju školu,
02:32
so I was determinedodlučan to do anything possiblemoguće
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Zato sam odlučio učiniti što god je moguće
02:37
to receivedobiti educationobrazovanje.
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da nastavim obrazovanje.
02:39
So I wentotišao to a libraryknjižnica.
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Stoga sam otiša u knjižnicu.
02:41
I readčitati booksknjige, scienceznanost booksknjige, especiallyposebno physicsfizika.
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I čitao sam knjige, znanstvene knjige, posebno fiziku.
02:45
I couldn'tne mogu readčitati Englishengleski that well.
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Nisam toliko dobro mogao čitati engleski.
02:47
I used diagramsdijagrami and picturesSlike
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Koristio sam dijagrame i slike
02:50
to learnnaučiti the wordsriječi around them.
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kako bih naučio riječi oko njih.
02:55
AnotherJoš jedan bookrezervirati put that knowledgeznanje in my handsruke.
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Jedna knjiga je stavila to znanje u moje ruke.
02:59
It said a windmillVjetrenjača could pumppumpa watervoda and generategenerirati electricityelektricitet.
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Tu sam našao da bi vjetrenjača mogla pumpati vodu i stvarati struju.
03:05
PumpPumpa watervoda meantznačilo irrigationnavodnjavanje,
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Pumpanje vode je značilo navodnjavanje.
03:08
a defenseodbrana againstprotiv hungerglad,
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I obranu od gladi,
03:10
whichkoji we were experiencingdoživljava by that time.
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s kojom smo se u to vrijeme suočavali.
03:14
So I decidedodlučio I would buildizgraditi one windmillVjetrenjača for myselfsebe.
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Stoga sam odlučio izgraditi jednu vjetrenjaču za sebe.
03:18
But I didn't have materialsmaterijali to use,
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Ali nisam imao potrebni materijal.
03:21
so I wentotišao to a scrapotpaci yarddvorište
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Zato sam otišao na otpad
03:23
where I foundpronađeno my materialsmaterijali.
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gdje sam našao potrebni materijal.
03:26
ManyMnogi people, includinguključujući my mothermajka,
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Mnogi ljudi, uključujući i moju majku,
03:30
said I was crazylud.
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rekli su kako sam lud.
03:32
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
03:34
I foundpronađeno a tractortraktor fanventilator,
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Našao sam traktorski ventilator,
03:36
shockšok absorbersakupljač, PVCPVC pipescijevi.
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amortizer, plastične cijevi.
03:38
UsingKoristeći a bicyclebicikl frameokvir
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Koristio sam ramu bicikla
03:41
and an oldstar bicyclebicikl dynamoDinamo,
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i stari dinamo bicikla,
03:45
I builtizgrađen my machinemašina.
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i izgradio sam svoj stroj.
03:47
It was one lightsvjetlo at first.
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Na početku je bilo jedno svjetlo,
03:50
And then fourčetiri lightssvjetla,
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Poslije toga četiri svjetla,
03:53
with switchesprekidači, and even a circuitstrujni krug breakerprekidač,
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s prekidačima, čak i s automatskim prekidačima,
03:58
modeledpo uzoru after an electricelektrični bellzvono.
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modelirana prema računu za struju.
04:02
AnotherJoš jedan machinemašina pumpspumpe watervoda
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Drugi stroj pumpa vodu
04:06
for irrigationnavodnjavanje.
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za navodnjavanje.
04:09
QueuesRedovi čekanja of people startpočetak liningoblaganje up at my housekuća
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Redovi ljudi su se počeli stvarati oko moje kuće
04:12
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
04:14
to chargenaplatiti theirnjihov mobilemobilni phonetelefon.
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kako bi napunili mobitele.
04:16
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
04:20
I could not get ridosloboditi of them.
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Nisam ih se mogao riješiti.
04:22
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
04:24
And the reportersnovinari camedošao too,
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I novinari su došli,
04:27
whichkoji leaddovesti to bloggersblogeri
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što je vodilo ka blogerima
04:29
and whichkoji leaddovesti to a call from something calledzvao TEDTED.
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i naposljetku što je vodilo pozivu od nekoga pod nazivom TED.
04:34
I had never seenvidio an airplanezrakoplov before.
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Nikada prije nisam vidio avion.
04:36
I had never sleptspavao in a hotelhotel.
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Nikada prije nisam spavao u hotelu.
04:39
So, on stagefaza that day in ArushaArusha,
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Stoga, na pozornici toga dana u Arushi,
04:43
my Englishengleski lostizgubljen,
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moj engleski se izgubio,
04:46
I said something like,
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rekao sam nešto poput,
04:49
"I triedpokušala. And I madenapravljen it."
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"Pokušao sam. I uspio sam."
04:53
So I would like to say something
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Stoga bih volio da kažem nešto
04:55
to all the people out there like me
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svim ljudima koju su nalik na mene
04:58
to the AfricansAfrikanci, and the poorsiromašan
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Afrikancima, i siromašnima
05:01
who are strugglingbore with your dreamssnovi.
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koji se bore za svoje snove,
05:05
God blessblagosloviti.
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Bog vas blagoslovio.
05:07
Maybe one day you will watch this on the InternetInternet.
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Možda ćete jednog dana gledati ovo na Internetu.
05:11
I say to you, trustpovjerenje yourselfsami and believe.
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Kažem vam, imajte povjerenja u sebe i vjerujte.
05:16
WhateverŠto god happensdogađa se, don't give up.
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Što god se dogodilo ne odustajte.
05:18
Thank you.
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Hvala vam.
05:20
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
Translated by Bojan Hodap
Reviewed by Mislav Ante Omazić - EFZG

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
William Kamkwamba - Inventor
To power his family's home, young William Kamkwamba built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap -- starting him on a journey detailed in the book and film "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind."

Why you should listen

William Kamkwamba, from Malawi, is a born inventor. When he was 14, he built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap, working from rough plans he found in a library book called Using Energy and modifying them to fit his needs. The windmill he built powers four lights and two radios in his family home.

After reading about Kamkwamba on Mike McKay's blog Hactivate (which picked up the story from a local Malawi newspaper), TEDGlobal Conference Director Emeka Okafor spent several weeks tracking him down at his home in Masitala Village, Wimbe, and invited him to attend TEDGlobal on a fellowship. Onstage, Kamkwamba talked about his invention and shared his dreams: to build a larger windmill to help with irrigation for his entire village, and to go back to school.

Following Kamkwamba's moving talk, there was an outpouring of support for him and his promising work. Members of the TED community got together to help him improve his power system (by incorporating solar energy), and further his education through school and mentorships. Subsequent projects have included clean water, malaria prevention, solar power and lighting for the six homes in his family compound; a deep-water well with a solar-powered pump for clean water; and a drip irrigation system. Kamkwamba himself returned to school, and is now attending the African Leadership Academy, a new pan-African prep school outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

Kamkwamba's story is documented in his autobiography, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. A  documentary about Kamkwamba, called William and the Windmill, won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury award at SXSW in 2013 (watch a trailer ). You can support his work and other young inventors at MovingWindmills.org.


More profile about the speaker
William Kamkwamba | Speaker | TED.com