TEDGlobal 2007
William Kamkwamba: How I built a windmill
William Kamkwamba über den Bau eines Windrads
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Mit nur 14 Jahren baute William Kamkwamba aus Malawi für seine Familie ein Strom erzeugendes Windrad aus Restteilen und groben Plänen, die er in einem Buch aus der Bibliothek fand.
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." Full bio
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.
00:29
Chris Anderson: William, hi. Good to see you.
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Chris Anderson: Hallo William. Es ist schön dich zu sehen.
00:31
William Kamkwamba: Thanks.
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William Kamkwamba: Danke.
00:32
CA: So, we've got a picture, I think? Where is this?
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CA: Also, ich glaube wir haben ein Bild? Wo ist das?
00:37
WK: This is my home. This is where I live.
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WK: Das ist mein Zuhause. Da lebe ich.
00:41
CA: Where? What country?
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CA: Wo? Welches Land?
00:43
WK: In Malawi, Kasungu. In Kasungu. Yeah, Mala.
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WK: In Malawi, Kasungu. In Kasungu. Ja. Mala.
00:46
CA: OK. Now, you're 19 now?
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CA: OK. Jetzt bist Du 19 Jahre alt?
00:49
WK: Yeah. I'm 19 years now.
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WK: Ja. Ich bin jetzt 19.
00:51
CA: Five years ago you had an idea. What was that?
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CA: Vor fünf Jahren hattest Du eine Idee. Welche?
00:54
WK: I wanted to make a windmill.
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WK: Ich möchte ein Windrad machen.
00:56
CA: A windmill?
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CA: Ein Windrad?
00:57
WK: Yeah.
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WK: Ja.
00:58
CA: What, to power -- for lighting and stuff?
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CA: Also - was - um anzutreiben - für Beleuchtung und so?
01:02
WK: Yeah.
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WK: Ja.
01:04
CA: So what did you do? How did you realize that?
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WK: Nachdem ich die Schule abgebrochen hatte, ging ich in die Bibliothek,
01:07
WK: After I dropped out of school, I went to library,
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WK: Nachdem ich mit der Schule aufgehört hatte, ging ich in die Bibliothek,
01:11
and I read a book that would -- "Using Energy,"
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und las ein Buch -- "Verwendung von Energie,"
01:15
and I get information about doing the mill.
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und fand Information über das Bauen eines Windrads.
01:18
And I tried, and I made it.
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Und ich versuchte es und schaffte es.
01:20
(Applause)
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( Applaus )
01:30
CA: So you copied -- you exactly copied the design in the book.
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CA: Also du hast -- das exakte Design aus dem Buch kopiert.
01:34
WK: Ah, no. I just --
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WK: Ah, nein. Ich habe nur --
01:36
CA: What happened?
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CA: Was ist passiert?
01:38
WK: In fact, a design of the windmill that was in the book,
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WK: Eigentlich, das Design vom Windrad im Buch,
01:42
it has got four -- ah -- three blades,
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hatte vier -- ah -- drei Flügel,
01:46
and mine has got four blades.
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meines hat vier Flügel.
01:49
CA: The book had three, yours had four.
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CA: Das Buch hatte drei, deines hatte vier.
01:51
WK: Yeah.
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WK: Ja.
01:52
CA: And you made it out of what?
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CA: Und woraus hast du es gemacht?
01:54
WK: I made four blades, just because I want to increase power.
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WK: Ich habe vier Flügel gemacht, weil ich die Leistung erhöhen wollte.
01:59
CA: OK.
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CA: OK.
02:00
WK: Yeah.
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WK: Ja.
02:01
CA: You tested three, and found that four worked better?
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CA: Du hast drei getestet und herausgefunden, dass vier besser sind?
02:03
WK: Yeah. I test.
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WK: Ja, ich habe getestet.
02:05
CA: And what did you make the windmill out of?
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CA: Und aus was hast du das Windrad gemacht?
02:08
What materials did you use?
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Welche Materialien hast Du verwendet?
02:10
WK: I use a bicycle frame, and a pulley, and plastic pipe, what then pulls --
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WK: Ich habe einen Fahrradrahmen, einen Flaschenzug, ein Plastikrohr verwendet, welches dann zieht --
02:16
CA: Do we have a picture of that? Can we have the next slide?
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CA: Haben wir ein Bild davon? Können wir die nächste Folie haben?
02:19
WK: Yeah. The windmill.
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WK: Ja. Das Windrad.
02:21
CA: And so, and that windmill, what -- it worked?
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CA: Also, und dieses Windrad -- funktioniert es?
02:25
WK: When the wind blows, it rotates and generates.
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WK: Wenn der Wind weht dreht es sich und erzeugt.
02:30
CA: How much electricity?
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CA: Wieviel Strom?
02:31
WK: 12 watts.
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WK: 12 Watt.
02:33
CA: And so, that lit a light for the house? How many lights?
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CA: Und so hattet ihr Licht im Haus? Wieviele Lichter?
02:38
WK: Four bulbs and two radios.
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WK: Vier Glühbirnen und zwei Radios.
02:40
CA: Wow.
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CA: Wow.
02:41
WK: Yeah.
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WK: Ja.
02:42
(Applause) CA: Next slide --
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CA: Also-- (Applaus) -- nächste Folie --
02:52
so who's that?
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wer sind diese Leute?
02:54
WK: This is my parents, holding the radio.
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WK: Das sind meine Eltern, nach dem Kauf des Radios.
02:57
CA: So what did they make of -- that you were 14, 15 at the time --
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CA: Und was halten sie davon -- das du 14, 15 zu dieser Zeit warst --
03:01
what did they make of this? They were impressed?
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was halten sie davon? Sind sie beeindruckt?
03:04
WK: Yeah.
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WK: Ja.
03:05
CA: And so what's your -- what are you going to do with this?
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CA: Und was -- was hast du jetzt vor?
03:07
WK: Um --
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WK: Ähm --
03:09
CA: What do you -- I mean -- do you want to build another one?
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CA: Was wirst du -- ich meine -- wirst du noch eines bauen?
03:13
WK: Yeah, I want to build another one --
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WK: Ja, ich will noch eines bauen --
03:16
to pump water and irrigation for crops.
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um Wasser zu pumpen und die Pflanzen zu bewässern.
03:21
CA: So this one would have to be bigger?
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CA: Diesmal wird es also größer sein?
03:23
WK: Yeah.
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WK: Ja.
03:24
CA: How big?
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CA: Wie groß?
03:25
WK: I think it will produce more than 20 the watts.
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WK: Ich denke, es wird mehr als 20 Watt erzeugen.
03:31
CA: So that would produce irrigation for the entire village?
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CA: Es würde das ganze Dorf bewässern?
03:35
WK: Yeah.
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WK: Ja.
03:37
CA: Wow. And so you're talking to people here at TED
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CA: Wow. Und du sprichst zu den Leuten hier bei TED
03:40
to get people who might be able to help in some way
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um Leute zu finden die vielleicht in der Lage sind irgendwie zu helfen --
03:44
to realize this dream?
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um diesen Traum zu realisieren?
03:46
WK: Yeah, if they can help me with materials, yeah.
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WK: Ja, falls sie mir helfen können -- mit Material, ja.
03:50
CA: And as you think of your life going forward,
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CA: Und wenn du an deine Zukunft denkst,
03:53
you're 19 now,
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Du bist jetzt 19, siehst du --
03:56
do you picture continuing with this dream of working in energy?
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siehst du dich dabei diesen Traum fortzusetzen, mit Energie zu arbeiten?
04:00
WK: Yeah. I'm still thinking to work on energy.
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WK: Ja. Ich denke immer noch daran, mit Energie zu arbeiten.
04:05
CA: Wow. William, it's a real honor to have you at the TED conference.
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CA: Wow. William, es ist wirklich eine Ehre, dich hier bei der TED-Konferenz zu haben.
04:09
Thank you so much for coming.
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Danke vielmals fürs Kommen.
04:11
WK: Thank you.
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WK: Danke.
04:13
(Applause)
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(Applaus)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
William Kamkwamba - InventorTo 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.
William Kamkwamba | Speaker | TED.com