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

Vilijam Kamkvamba (William Kamkwamba): Kako sam upregao vetar

Filmed:
2,717,871 views

Sa 14 godina, u bedi i gladi, dečak iz Malavija napravio je vodenicu za kuću svoje porodice. Sada, sa 22, Vilijam Kamkvamba na TED konferenciji po drugi put priča svoju pronalazačku bajku koja mu je promenila 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.
00:15
Two yearsгодине agoпре, I stoodстајао on the TEDTED stageфаза in ArushaU Aruљi, TanzaniaTanzanija.
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Pre dve godine sam stajao na TED-ovoj pozornici u Aruši, u Tanzaniji.
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I spokeговорио је very brieflyукратко about one of my proudestnajponosniji creationsкреације.
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Govorio sam kratko o jednoj od svojih kreacija na koju sam posebno ponosan.
00:24
It was a simpleједноставно machineмашина that changedпромењено my life.
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Bila je to jednostavna mašina koje je promenila moj život.
00:28
Before that time,
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Pre toga
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 computerрачунар.
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Nikada nisam koristio kompjuter.
00:38
I had never seenвиђено an InternetInternet.
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Nikada nisam video Internet.
00:42
On the stageфаза that day, I was so nervousнервозан.
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Tog dana na sceni, bio sam mnogo nervozan.
00:47
My Englishengleski lostизгубљено,
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Moj engleski se izgubio.
00:51
I wanted to vomitbljuvotine.
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Hteo sam da povraćam.
00:53
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
00:57
I had never been surroundedокружен by so manyмноги azunguazungu,
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Nikada nisam bio okružen sa toliko "azungu",
01:01
whiteбео people.
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belaca.
01:03
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
01:06
There was a storyприча I wouldn'tне би tell you then.
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Postojala je priča koju vam tada ne bih ispričao.
01:09
But well, I'm feelingОсећај good right now.
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Ali, sada se osećam dobro.
01:12
I would like to shareОбјави that storyприча todayданас.
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Danas bih želeo da tu priču podelim sa vama.
01:15
We have sevenседам childrenдеца in my familyпородица.
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U mojoj porodici ima sedmoro dece.
01:17
All sistersсестре, exceptingOsim me.
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Izuzimajući mene, sve sestre.
01:21
This is me with my dadтата when I was a little boyдечко.
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Ovo sam ja sa svojim ocem kada sam bio mali.
01:26
Before I discoveredоткривени the wondersчуда of scienceНаука,
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Pre nego što sam otkrio čuda nauke,
01:29
I was just a simpleједноставно farmerфармер
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bio sam samo običan farmer
01:31
in a countryземљу of poorлоше farmersпољопривредници.
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u zemlji siromašnih farmera.
01:34
Like everyoneсви elseдруго, we grewрастао maizekukuruz.
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Kao i svi ostali, uzgajali smo kukuruz.
01:38
One yearгодине our fortuneбогатство turnedокренуо се very badлоше.
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Jedne godine bili smo jako loše sreće.
01:43
In 2001 we experiencedИскусан an awfulгрозно famineглад.
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2001. smo se suočili sa strašnom oskudicom i glađu.
01:48
WithinU roku od fiveпет monthsмесеци all MalawiansMalawians beganпочела to starveod gladi to deathсмрт.
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Tokom pet meseci svi Malavljani su gladovali do smrti.
01:55
My familyпородица ateПојео one mealоброк perпер day, at night.
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Moja porodica je jela jedan obrok dnevno, noću.
01:59
Only threeтри swallowslaste of nsimaSima for eachсваки one of us.
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Samo tri zalogaja "nsima" za svakog od nas.
02:03
The foodхрана passesпролази throughкроз our bodiesтела.
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Hrana je prolazila kroz naša tela.
02:05
We dropкап down to nothing.
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Topili smo se.
02:09
In MalawiMalavi, the secondaryсекундарно schoolшкола,
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U Malaviju se srednja škola
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you have to payплатите schoolшкола feesнакнаде.
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plaća.
02:14
Because of the hungerглад, I was forcedприсиљен to dropкап out of schoolшкола.
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Zbog gladi, bio sam primoran da napustim školu.
02:20
I lookedпогледао at my fatherотац
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Gledao sam u svog oca,
02:22
and lookedпогледао at those dryСУВ fieldsпоља.
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i u suva polja.
02:24
It was the futureбудућност I couldn'tније могао acceptприхватити.
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To je bila budućnost koju nisam mogao da prihvatim
02:28
I feltосетио very happyсрећан to be at the secondaryсекундарно schoolшкола,
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Bio sam srećan u srednjoj školi.
02:32
so I was determinedодређени to do anything possibleмогуће
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Zato sam bio odlučan da uradim šta god je moguće
02:37
to receiveпримити educationобразовање.
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da bih se obrazovao.
02:39
So I wentотишао to a libraryбиблиотека.
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Tako sam otisao u biblioteku.
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I readчитати booksкњиге, scienceНаука booksкњиге, especiallyпосебно physicsфизика.
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Čitao sam knjige, naučne knjige, posebno fiziku.
02:45
I couldn'tније могао readчитати Englishengleski that well.
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Nisam mogao da čitam na engleskom toliko dobro.
02:47
I used diagramsдијаграми and picturesслике
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Pa sam koristio dijagrame i slike
02:50
to learnучи the wordsречи around them.
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da bih naučio reči oko njih.
02:55
AnotherDrugi bookкњига put that knowledgeзнање in my handsруке.
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U jednoj knjizi sam pronašao znanje.
02:59
It said a windmillvetrenjače could pumpпумпа waterвода and generateГенериши electricityелектрична енергија.
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Tu sam našao da bi vetrenjača mogla da pumpa vodu i prikuplja elektrićnu energiju.
03:05
PumpPumpa waterвода meantмислио irrigationza navodnjavanje,
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Pumpanje vode je značilo navodnjavanje.
03:08
a defenseодбрана againstпротив hungerглад,
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Odbranu od gladi,
03:10
whichкоја we were experiencingдоживљава by that time.
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sa kojom smo se u to vreme suočavali.
03:14
So I decidedодлучио I would buildизградити one windmillvetrenjače for myselfЈа сам.
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Zato sam odlučio da izgradim sebi jednu vetrenjaču.
03:18
But I didn't have materialsматеријали to use,
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Ali nisam imao potrebni materijal.
03:21
so I wentотишао to a scrapтуча yarddvorište
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Otišao sam na otpad
03:23
where I foundнашао my materialsматеријали.
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i pronašao sam materijale.
03:26
ManyMnogi people, includingукључујући my motherмајка,
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Mnogo ljudi, uključujući i moju majku,
03:30
said I was crazyлуд.
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reklo je da sam lud.
03:32
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
03:34
I foundнашао a tractortraktor fanвентилатор,
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Našao sam traktorski ventilator,
03:36
shockшок absorberapsorber, PVCPVC pipesцеви.
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amortizer, plastične cevi.
03:38
UsingKoristeći a bicycleбицикл frameРам
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Korisitio sam ram bicikla,
03:41
and an oldстари bicycleбицикл dynamoDinamo,
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i stari dinamo
03:45
I builtизграђен my machineмашина.
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I napravio sam svoju mašinu.
03:47
It was one lightсветло at first.
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Na početku je bilo jedno svetlo.
03:50
And then fourчетири lightsсветла,
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Kasnije četiri,
03:53
with switchesпрекидачи, and even a circuitструјно коло breakerпрекидач,
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sa prekidačima i čak i sa automatskim prekidačem
03:58
modeledмоделирано after an electricелектрични bellзвоно.
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napravljenim prema računu za struju.
04:02
AnotherDrugi machineмашина pumpsпумпе waterвода
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Druga mašina pumpa vodu
04:06
for irrigationza navodnjavanje.
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za navodnjavanje.
04:09
QueuesRedovi of people startпочетак liningоблога up at my houseкућа
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Redovi ljudi su počeli da vijugaju ispred moje kuće.
04:12
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
04:14
to chargeпуњење theirњихова mobileмобилни phoneтелефон.
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da napune mobilne telefone.
04:16
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
04:20
I could not get ridрид of them.
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Nisam mogao da ih se otarasim.
04:22
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
04:24
And the reportersновинари cameДошао too,
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Novinari su došli, takođe,
04:27
whichкоја leadолово to bloggersблогери
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što je vodilo ka blogerima,
04:29
and whichкоја leadолово to a call from something calledпозвани TEDTED.
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što je opet vodilo ka nečemu što se zove TED.
04:34
I had never seenвиђено an airplaneавион before.
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Nikada ranije nisam video avion.
04:36
I had never sleptспавала in a hotelХотел.
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Nikad nisam spavao u hotelu.
04:39
So, on stageфаза that day in ArushaU Aruљi,
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Tako se na sceni tog dana u Aruši
04:43
my Englishengleski lostизгубљено,
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moj engleski izgubio.
04:46
I said something like,
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Rekao sam nešto kao,
04:49
"I triedПокушали. And I madeмаде it."
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"Pokušao sam. I uspeo sam."
04:53
So I would like to say something
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Zato bih želeo da kažem nešto
04:55
to all the people out there like me
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svim ljudima tamo negde koji su kao ja,
04:58
to the AfricansAfrikanci, and the poorлоше
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Afrikancima, siromašnima
05:01
who are strugglingБорити се with your dreamsснове.
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koji se bore za svoje snove,
05:05
God blessблагослови.
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Bog blagosilja.
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, trustповерење yourselfсами and believe.
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Kažem vam, verujte u sebe i verujte.
05:16
WhateverKako god happensсе дешава, don't give up.
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Šta god da se dogodi, ne odustajte.
05:18
Thank you.
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Hvala.
05:20
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Natasa Golosin
Reviewed by Sandra Gojic

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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