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: Hur jag tämjde vinden

Filmed:
2,717,871 views

Vid 14 års ålder, under fattigdom och svält, byggde en Malawisk pojke ett vindkraftverk för att driva sin familjs hem. Nu 22 år gammal, talar William Kamkwamba vid TED för andra gången. Han delar i egna ord med sig av en rörande berättelse om innovation vilken förändrade hans liv.
- 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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Tack.
00:15
Two yearsår agosedan, I stoodstod on the TEDTED stageskede in ArushaArusha, TanzaniaTanzania.
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För två år sedan stod jag på TED's scen i Arusha, Tanzania.
00:19
I spokeeker very brieflyi korthet about one of my proudeststoltaste creationsskapelser.
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Jag talade kort om en av mina skapelser jag är mest stolt över.
00:24
It was a simpleenkel machinemaskin that changedändrats my life.
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Det var en enkel maskin som förändrade mitt liv.
00:28
Before that time,
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Innan dess
00:30
I had never been away from my home
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hade jag aldrig varit borta från mitt hem
00:33
in MalawiMalawi.
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i Malawi.
00:36
I had never used a computerdator.
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Jag hade aldrig använt en dator.
00:38
I had never seensett an InternetInternet.
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Jag hade aldrig sett Internet.
00:42
On the stageskede that day, I was so nervousnervös.
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På scen den dagen var jag så nervös.
00:47
My EnglishEngelska lostförlorat,
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Jag glömde min engelska.
00:51
I wanted to vomitkräkas.
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Jag ville kräkas.
00:53
(LaughterSkratt)
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(skratt)
00:57
I had never been surroundedomgiven by so manymånga azunguazungu,
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Jag hade aldrig varit omringad av så många azungu,
01:01
whitevit people.
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vita människor.
01:03
(LaughterSkratt)
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(skratt)
01:06
There was a storyberättelse I wouldn'tskulle inte tell you then.
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Det var en sak som jag inte ville berätta då.
01:09
But well, I'm feelingkänsla good right now.
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Men, just nu mår jag bra.
01:12
I would like to sharedela med sig that storyberättelse todayi dag.
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Jag vill berätta det idag.
01:15
We have sevensju childrenbarn in my familyfamilj.
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Vi är sju syskon i min familj.
01:17
All sisterssystrar, exceptingmed undantag för me.
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Alla systrar förutom jag.
01:21
This is me with my dadpappa when I was a little boypojke.
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Detta är jag med min pappa när jag var en liten pojke.
01:26
Before I discoveredupptäckt the wondersundrar of sciencevetenskap,
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Innan jag upptäckte vetenskapens underverk,
01:29
I was just a simpleenkel farmerjordbrukare
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var jag bara en enkel bonde
01:31
in a countryland of poorfattig farmersjordbrukare.
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i ett land av fattiga bönder.
01:34
Like everyonealla elseannan, we grewväxte maizemajs.
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Som alla andra odlade vi majs.
01:38
One yearår our fortuneförmögenhet turnedvände very baddålig.
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Ett år vände sig vår lycka till det sämre.
01:43
In 2001 we experiencederfaren an awfulförfärlig faminesvält.
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Under 2001 upplevde vi en fruktansvärd svält.
01:48
WithinInom fivefem monthsmånader all MalawiansMalawier beganbörjade to starvesvälta to deathdöd.
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Inom fem månader började alla Malawier att svälta till döds.
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My familyfamilj ateåt one mealmåltid perper day, at night.
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Min familj åt en gång om dagen, på natten.
01:59
Only threetre swallowssvalor of nsimansima for eachvarje one of us.
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Endast tre munnar nsima för var och en av oss.
02:03
The foodmat passespasserar throughgenom our bodieskroppar.
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Maten passerade rakt genom våra kroppar
02:05
We dropsläppa down to nothing.
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och vi magrade till ingenting.
02:09
In MalawiMalawi, the secondarysekundär schoolskola,
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I Malawi, för högstadiet
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you have to paybetala schoolskola feesavgifter.
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måste du betala skolavgifter.
02:14
Because of the hungerhunger, I was forcedtvingade to dropsläppa out of schoolskola.
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På grund av svälten tvingades jag sluta skolan.
02:20
I lookedtittade at my fatherfar
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Jag tittade på min pappa,
02:22
and lookedtittade at those drytorr fieldsfält.
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och tittade på de torra åkrarna.
02:24
It was the futureframtida I couldn'tkunde inte acceptacceptera.
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Det var en framtid jag inte kunde acceptera.
02:28
I feltkänt very happylycklig to be at the secondarysekundär schoolskola,
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jag trivdes mycket bra med att gå i skolan.
02:32
so I was determinedfast besluten to do anything possiblemöjlig
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Så jag var bestämd på att göra vad som helst
02:37
to receivemotta educationutbildning.
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för att få utbildning.
02:39
So I wentåkte to a librarybibliotek.
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Så jag gick till biblioteket.
02:41
I readläsa booksböcker, sciencevetenskap booksböcker, especiallyspeciellt physicsfysik.
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Jag läste böcker, vetenskapliga böcker, särskilt fysik.
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I couldn'tkunde inte readläsa EnglishEngelska that well.
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Jag var inte så bra på att läsa engelska.
02:47
I used diagramsdiagrammen and picturesbilder
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Så därför använde jag diagram och bilder
02:50
to learnlära sig the wordsord around them.
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för att lära mig orden runt dem.
02:55
AnotherEn annan bookbok put that knowledgekunskap in my handshänder.
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En annan bok som gav mig kunskap
02:59
It said a windmillWindmill could pumppump watervatten and generategenerera electricityelektricitet.
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talade om att en vindsnurra kunde pumpa vatten och skapa elektricitet.
03:05
PumpPump watervatten meantbetydde irrigationbevattning,
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Att pumpa vatten betydde bevattning.
03:08
a defenseförsvar againstmot hungerhunger,
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Ett försvar mot hunger,
03:10
whichsom we were experiencingupplever by that time.
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vilket var vad vi upplevde vid denna tid.
03:14
So I decidedbestämt I would buildbygga one windmillWindmill for myselfjag själv.
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Så jag bestämde mig för att själv bygga ett vindkraftverk.
03:18
But I didn't have materialsmaterial to use,
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Men jag hade inget material att använda.
03:21
so I wentåkte to a scrapskrot yardgård
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Så jag gick till en soptipp
03:23
where I foundhittades my materialsmaterial.
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där jag hittade mitt material.
03:26
ManyMånga people, includingInklusive my mothermor,
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Många människor, inklusive min mamma,
03:30
said I was crazygalen.
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sa att jag var galen.
03:32
(LaughterSkratt)
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(Skratt)
03:34
I foundhittades a tractortraktor fanfläkt,
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Jag hittade en traktorfläkt,
03:36
shockchock absorberabsorber, PVCPVC pipesrör.
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stötdämpare, PVC-rör.
03:38
UsingMed hjälp av a bicyclecykel frameram
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Med en cykelram
03:41
and an oldgammal bicyclecykel dynamoDynamo,
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och en gammal cykeldynamo,
03:45
I builtbyggd my machinemaskin.
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byggde jag min maskin.
03:47
It was one lightljus at first.
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Först var det en glödlampa.
03:50
And then fourfyra lightslampor,
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Och sedan fyra glödlampor,
03:53
with switchesswitchar, and even a circuitkrets breakerbreaker,
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med brytare, och även en huvudbrytare,
03:58
modeledmodelleras after an electricelektrisk bellklocka.
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utformad efter en mätartavla.
04:02
AnotherEn annan machinemaskin pumpspumps watervatten
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En annan maskin pumpar vatten
04:06
for irrigationbevattning.
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till bevattning.
04:09
QueuesKöer of people startStart liningfoder up at my househus
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Köer av folk började rada upp sig utanför mitt hus
04:12
(LaughterSkratt)
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(Skratt)
04:14
to chargeavgift theirderas mobilemobil phonetelefon.
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för att ladda sin mobiltelefon.
04:16
(ApplauseApplåder)
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(Applåder)
04:20
I could not get ridbefria of them.
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Jag kunde inte bli av med dem.
04:22
(LaughterSkratt)
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(Skratt)
04:24
And the reportersreportrar camekom too,
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Och journalister kom också,
04:27
whichsom leadleda to bloggersbloggare
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vilket ledde till bloggare,
04:29
and whichsom leadleda to a call from something calledkallad TEDTED.
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vilket ledde till ett samtal från något kallat TED.
04:34
I had never seensett an airplaneflygplan before.
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Jag hade aldrig sett ett flygplan tidigare.
04:36
I had never sleptsov in a hotelhotell.
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Jag hade aldrig sovit på hotell.
04:39
So, on stageskede that day in ArushaArusha,
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Så på scenen i Arusha den dagen,
04:43
my EnglishEngelska lostförlorat,
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glömde jag min engelska.
04:46
I said something like,
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Jag sa någonting liknande
04:49
"I triedförsökte. And I madegjord it."
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"Jag försökte. Och jag gjorde det."
04:53
So I would like to say something
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Så jag skulle vilja säga någonting
04:55
to all the people out there like me
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till alla människor där ute, som mig,
04:58
to the AfricansAfrikaner, and the poorfattig
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till afrikanerna, och till de fattiga
05:01
who are strugglingkämpar with your dreamsdrömmar.
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som kämpar med era drömmar,
05:05
God blessvälsigna.
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Gud välsigne er.
05:07
Maybe one day you will watch this on the InternetInternet.
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Kanske ser ni detta på Internet nån gång.
05:11
I say to you, trustförtroende yourselfsjälv and believe.
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Jag säger till er att tro på er själva.
05:16
WhateverOavsett happenshänder, don't give up.
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Ge aldrig upp vad som än händer.
05:18
Thank you.
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Tack.
05:20
(ApplauseApplåder)
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(Applåder)
Translated by Åke Karlsson
Reviewed by Sana Safai

▲Back to top

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