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 2007

William Kamkwamba: How I built a windmill

ويليلم كامكوامبا: كيف تمكنت من بناء طاحونة هوائية

Filmed:
2,952,899 views

حين كان في الـ 14 من العمر، المخترع الملاوي ويليلم كامكوامبا بنا لعائلته طاحونة هوائية تولد الكهرباء من قطع غيار، ويعمل من تصميم تقريبي وجده في كتاب من المكتبة.
- 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.

00:29
Chrisكريس Andersonأندرسون: Williamوليام, hiمرحبا. Good to see you.
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كريس أنديسون: ويليام، مرحبا. سررت بلقائك
00:31
Williamوليام KamkwambaKamkwamba: Thanksشكر.
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ويليلم كامكوامبا: شكرا
00:32
CACA: So, we'veقمنا got a pictureصورة, I think? Where is this?
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ك.أ.: إذا لدينا صورة، أعتقد؟ أين هذه؟
00:37
WKWK: This is my home. This is where I liveحي.
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و.ك.: هذا منزلي. حيث أقطن
00:41
CACA: Where? What countryبلد?
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ك.أ.: أين؟ أي دولة؟
00:43
WKWK: In Malawiمالاوي, Kasunguكاسونغو. In Kasunguكاسونغو. Yeah, Malaمالا.
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و.ك.: في مالاوي، كاسونجو. نعم. مالا
00:46
CACA: OK. Now, you're 19 now?
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ك.أ.: حسنا. الآن، أنت التاسعة عشر اليس كذلك؟
00:49
WKWK: Yeah. I'm 19 yearsسنوات now.
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و.ك.: نعم. أنا في التاسعة عشر الآن
00:51
CACA: Fiveخمسة yearsسنوات agoمنذ you had an ideaفكرة. What was that?
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ك.أ.: منذ خمس أعوام خطرت لك فكرة. ما هي؟
00:54
WKWK: I wanted to make a windmillطاحونة هوائية.
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و.ك.: أردت صنع طاحونة هوائية
00:56
CACA: A windmillطاحونة هوائية?
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ك.أ.: طاحونة هوائية؟
00:57
WKWK: Yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم
00:58
CACA: What, to powerقوة -- for lightingإضاءة and stuffأمور?
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ك.أ.: إذا -- ماذا -- للطاقة -- للإضائة وما شابه؟
01:02
WKWK: Yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم
01:04
CACA: So what did you do? How did you realizeأدرك that?
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ك.أ.: ماذا فعلت؟ كيف حققت ذلك؟
01:07
WKWK: After I droppedإسقاط out of schoolمدرسة, I wentذهب to libraryمكتبة,
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و.ك.: بعد خروجي من المدرسة، ذهبت إلى المكتبة
01:11
and I readاقرأ a bookكتاب that would -- "Usingعن طريق Energyطاقة,"
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وقرأت كتابا عن "إستخدام الطاقة"ـ
01:15
and I get informationمعلومات about doing the millمطحنة.
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وحصلت على المعلومات اللازمة لصنعها
01:18
And I triedحاول, and I madeمصنوع it.
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وحاولت وصنعتها
01:20
(Applauseتصفيق)
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(تصفيق)
01:30
CACA: So you copiedنسخ -- you exactlyبالضبط copiedنسخ the designالتصميم in the bookكتاب.
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ك.أ.: إذا نسخت -- قمت بنسخ التصميم كما هو في الكتاب
01:34
WKWK: Ahآه, no. I just --
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و.ك.: آه، لا. أنا فقط
01:36
CACA: What happenedحدث?
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ك.أ.: ماذا حدث؟
01:38
WKWK: In factحقيقة, a designالتصميم of the windmillطاحونة هوائية that was in the bookكتاب,
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و.ك.: في الواقع، كان تصميم الطاحونة الهوائية في الكتاب
01:42
it has got fourأربعة -- ahآه -- threeثلاثة bladesشفرات,
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بأربع -- آه -- بل ثلاث ريش
01:46
and mineالخاص بي has got fourأربعة bladesشفرات.
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وطاحونتي لها أربع ريش
01:49
CACA: The bookكتاب had threeثلاثة, yoursخاصة بك had fourأربعة.
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ك.أ.: الكتاب له ثلاثة وأنت لديك أربع
01:51
WKWK: Yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم
01:52
CACA: And you madeمصنوع it out of what?
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ك.أ.: ومما صنعتها؟
01:54
WKWK: I madeمصنوع fourأربعة bladesشفرات, just because I want to increaseزيادة powerقوة.
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و.ك.: صنعت أربع ريش، فقط لأنني أردت أن أزيد في الطاقة
01:59
CACA: OK.
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ك.أ.: حسنا
02:00
WKWK: Yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم
02:01
CACA: You testedاختبار threeثلاثة, and foundوجدت that fourأربعة workedعمل better?
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ك.أ.: جربت ثلاثة، ووجدت أن أربع تعمل أفضل؟
02:03
WKWK: Yeah. I testاختبار.
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و.ك.: نعم. جربت
02:05
CACA: And what did you make the windmillطاحونة هوائية out of?
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ك.أ.: ومما صنعت الطاحونة؟
02:08
What materialsالمواد did you use?
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ماذا -- المواد التي إستخدمتها؟
02:10
WKWK: I use a bicycleدراجة frameالإطار, and a pulleyبكرة, and plasticبلاستيك pipeيضخ, what then pullsتسحب --
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استعملت إطار دراجة، وبكرة ، وأنابيب بلاستيكية، ثم تسحب
02:16
CACA: Do we have a pictureصورة of that? Can we have the nextالتالى slideالانزلاق?
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ك.أ.: هل لدينا صورة لذلك؟ هلا أظهرتم الشريحة التالية؟
02:19
WKWK: Yeah. The windmillطاحونة هوائية.
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و.ك.: نعم. الطاحونة الهوائية
02:21
CACA: And so, and that windmillطاحونة هوائية, what -- it workedعمل?
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ك.أ.: إذا، هذه الطاحونة، ماذا -- هل عملت؟
02:25
WKWK: When the windينفخ blowsضربات, it rotatesبالتناوب and generatesيولد.
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و.ك.: حين تهب الرياح، تدور وتولد
02:30
CACA: How much electricityكهرباء?
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ك.أ.: كم من الطاقة؟
02:31
WKWK: 12 wattsواط.
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و.ك.: 12 واط
02:33
CACA: And so, that litأشعل a lightضوء for the houseمنزل? How manyكثير lightsأضواء?
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ك.أ.: إذا، هذا أنار المنزل كله؟ كم لمبة؟
02:38
WKWK: Fourأربعة bulbsمصابيح and two radiosأجهزة الراديو.
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و.ك.: أربع لمبات وراديو ين
02:40
CACA: Wowرائع.
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ك.أ.: واو
02:41
WKWK: Yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم
02:42
(Applauseتصفيق) CACA: Nextالتالى slideالانزلاق --
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ك.أ.: إذا -- (تصفيق) -- الشريحة التالية
02:52
so who'sمنظمة الصحة العالمية that?
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من هذا؟
02:54
WKWK: This is my parentsالآباء, holdingتحتجز the radioراديو.
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و.ك.: هؤلاء والديّ، أحضرا الراديو
02:57
CACA: So what did they make of -- that you were 14, 15 at the time --
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ك.أ.: فكيف كانت ردة فعلهم؟ كنت في الرابعة عشر أو الخامسة عشر حينها
03:01
what did they make of this? They were impressedتأثرت?
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ماذا كانت ردة فعلهم؟ هل أعجبوا؟
03:04
WKWK: Yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم
03:05
CACA: And so what's your -- what are you going to do with this?
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ك.أ.: إذا ما هي -- ماذا ستفعل بهذا؟
03:07
WKWK: Umأم --
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و.ك.: آم
03:09
CACA: What do you -- I mean -- do you want to buildبناء anotherآخر one?
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ك.أ.: ماذا تنوي -- أعني -- هل تود بناء أخرى؟
03:13
WKWK: Yeah, I want to buildبناء anotherآخر one --
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و.ك.: نعم، أود بناء أخرى
03:16
to pumpمضخة waterماء and irrigationري for cropsالمحاصيل.
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لضخ المياه وري -- ري المحاصيل
03:21
CACA: So this one would have to be biggerأكبر?
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ك.أ.: إذا هذه ستكون أكبر
03:23
WKWK: Yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم
03:24
CACA: How bigكبير?
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ك.أ.: ما حجمها؟
03:25
WKWK: I think it will produceإنتاج more than 20 the wattsواط.
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و.ك.: أعتقد أنها ستنتج أكثر من 20 واط
03:31
CACA: So that would produceإنتاج irrigationري for the entireكامل villageقرية?
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ك.أ.: هذه ستوفر الري لجميع القرية؟
03:35
WKWK: Yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم
03:37
CACA: Wowرائع. And so you're talkingالحديث to people here at TEDTED
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ك.أ.: واو. لذا تتواصل مع أناس هنا في تيد
03:40
to get people who mightربما be ableقادر to help in some way
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للحصول على أناس قد يساعدونك بطريقة ما
03:44
to realizeأدرك this dreamحلم?
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لتحقق هذا الحلم
03:46
WKWK: Yeah, if they can help me with materialsالمواد, yeah.
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و.ك.: نعم، إذا استطاعوا مساعدتي -- بالمواد، نعم
03:50
CACA: And as you think of your life going forwardإلى الأمام,
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ك.أ.: وهل تفكر بمستقبلك
03:53
you're 19 now,
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أنت في التاسعة عشر الآن، هل
03:56
do you pictureصورة continuingاستمرار with this dreamحلم of workingعامل in energyطاقة?
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هل تتصور أن تستمر بهذا الحلم، بالعمل في الطاقة؟
04:00
WKWK: Yeah. I'm still thinkingتفكير to work on energyطاقة.
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و.ك.: نعم. لازلت أفكر بالعمل في الطاقة
04:05
CACA: Wowرائع. Williamوليام, it's a realحقيقة honorشرف to have you at the TEDTED conferenceمؤتمر.
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ك.أ.: واو. ويليام، لقد كان شرفا حقيقيا حضورك في مؤتمر تيد
04:09
Thank you so much for comingآت.
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شكرا جزيلا لقدومك
04:11
WKWK: Thank you.
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و.ك.: شكرا
04:13
(Applauseتصفيق)
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(تصفيق)

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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