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

William Kamkwamba o stavbe veterného mlyna

Filmed:
2,952,899 views

Mal len 14 rokov, keď malávsky vynálezca William Kamkwamba postavil rodine veterný mlyn na výrobu elektriny - z náhradných dielov, podľa približného návodu, ktorý našiel v knižnici.
- 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
ChrisChris AndersonAnderson: WilliamWilliam, hiAhoj. Good to see you.
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Chris Anderson: Ahoj William. Som rád, že si tu.
00:31
WilliamWilliam KamkwambaKamkwamba: Thanksvďaka.
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William Kamkwamba: Ďakujem.
00:32
CACA: So, we'vemy máme got a pictureobrázok, I think? Where is this?
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CA: Myslím, že máme aj fotku. Kde to je?
00:37
WKWK: This is my home. This is where I livežiť.
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WK: Je to môj domov, kde žijem.
00:41
CACA: Where? What countrykrajina?
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CA: Kde? V ktorej krajine?
00:43
WKWK: In MalawiMalawi, KasunguKasungu. In KasunguKasungu. Yeah, MalaMalá.
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WK: V Malavi, Kasungu.
00:46
CACA: OK. Now, you're 19 now?
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CA: Dobre. Teraz máš 19 rokov?
00:49
WKWK: Yeah. I'm 19 yearsleta now.
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WK: Hej. Mám 19 rokov.
00:51
CACA: FivePäť yearsleta agopred you had an ideanápad. What was that?
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CA: Pred piatimi rokmi si mal nápad. Aký?
00:54
WKWK: I wanted to make a windmillVeterný mlyn.
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WK: Chcem vyrobyl veterný mlyn.
00:56
CACA: A windmillVeterný mlyn?
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CA: Veterný mlyn?
00:57
WKWK: Yeah.
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WK: Hej.
00:58
CACA: What, to powermoc -- for lightingosvetlenie and stuffvec?
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CA: A načo -- ako zdroj -- pre svetlo a tak?
01:02
WKWK: Yeah.
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WK: Hej.
01:04
CACA: So what did you do? How did you realizerealizovať that?
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CA: Čo si teda spravil? Ako sa ti to podarilo?
01:07
WKWK: After I droppedklesol out of schoolškolské, I wentšiel to libraryknižnica,
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WK: Keď som nechal školu, šiel som do knižnice,
01:11
and I readprečítať a bookkniha that would -- "UsingPomocou EnergyEnergie,"
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a prečítal som knihu -- "Používanie Energie",
01:15
and I get informationinformácie about doing the millmlyn.
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a dostal som informáciu o postavení mlyna.
01:18
And I triedskúšal, and I madevyrobený it.
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A skúsim a spravil som ho.
01:20
(ApplausePotlesk)
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(Potlesk)
01:30
CACA: So you copiedkopírovať -- you exactlypresne copiedkopírovať the designdizajn in the bookkniha.
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CA: Takže si skopíroval -- presne si skopíroval návrh z knihy.
01:34
WKWK: AhAh, no. I just --
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WK: Ó, nie. Len som --
01:36
CACA: What happenedStalo?
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CA: Čo teda?
01:38
WKWK: In factskutočnosť, a designdizajn of the windmillVeterný mlyn that was in the bookkniha,
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WK: No, návrh veterného mlynu v knihe
01:42
it has got fourštyri -- ahah -- threetri bladesnože,
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mal štyri - och - tri ramená
01:46
and minebaňa has got fourštyri bladesnože.
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a môj mal štyri ramená.
01:49
CACA: The bookkniha had threetri, yourstvoj had fourštyri.
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CA: V knihe mal tri, tvoj mal štyri.
01:51
WKWK: Yeah.
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WK: Hej.
01:52
CACA: And you madevyrobený it out of what?
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CA: A z čoho si ho spravil?
01:54
WKWK: I madevyrobený fourštyri bladesnože, just because I want to increasezvýšiť powermoc.
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WK: Spravil som štyri, lebo chcem zvýšiť výkon.
01:59
CACA: OK.
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CA: Aha.
02:00
WKWK: Yeah.
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WK: Hej.
02:01
CACA: You testedtestovaný threetri, and foundnájdených that fourštyri workedpracoval better?
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CA. Otestoval si tri, a zistil, že štyri fungovali lepšie?
02:03
WKWK: Yeah. I testtest.
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WK: Hej. Testujem.
02:05
CACA: And what did you make the windmillVeterný mlyn out of?
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CA: A z čoho si spravil veterný mlyn?
02:08
What materialsmateriály did you use?
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Čo si -- aké materiály si použil?
02:10
WKWK: I use a bicyclebicykel framerám, and a pulleykladka, and plasticplastický piperúra, what then pullsťahá --
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WK: Použijem rám bicykla, remenicu, plastovú rúrku --
02:16
CACA: Do we have a pictureobrázok of that? Can we have the nextĎalšie slidešmykľavka?
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CA: Máme to na fotke? Poďme na ďaľšiu fotku.
02:19
WKWK: Yeah. The windmillVeterný mlyn.
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WK: Hej. Veterný mlyn.
02:21
CACA: And so, and that windmillVeterný mlyn, what -- it workedpracoval?
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CA: No a tvoj veterný mlyn, ako -- fungoval?
02:25
WKWK: When the windvietor blowsfúka, it rotatesrotuje and generatesgeneruje.
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WK: Keď fúka vietor, otáča sa a generuje.
02:30
CACA: How much electricityelektrina?
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CA: Koľko elektriny?
02:31
WKWK: 12 wattswattov.
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WK: 12 wattov.
02:33
CACA: And so, that litlit a lightsvetlo for the housedom? How manyveľa lightssvetla?
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CA: Osvetlilo to dom? Koľko svetiel?
02:38
WKWK: FourŠtyri bulbsžiarovky and two radiosrádiá.
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Štyri žiarovky a dve rádiá.
02:40
CACA: WowWow.
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CA: Wow.
02:41
WKWK: Yeah.
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Hej.
02:42
(ApplausePotlesk) CACA: NextĎalší slidešmykľavka --
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CA: Tak -- (Potlesk) -- ďaľšia fotka --
02:52
so who'skto je that?
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kto je to?
02:54
WKWK: This is my parentsrodičia, holdingdržanie the radiorádio.
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WK: Sú to moji rodičia, kúpili rádio.
02:57
CACA: So what did they make of -- that you were 14, 15 at the time --
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CA: Čo si o tom celom -- mal si vtedy 14, 15 --
03:01
what did they make of this? They were impresseddojem?
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čo si o tom myslia? Potešili sa?
03:04
WKWK: Yeah.
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WK: Hej.
03:05
CACA: And so what's your -- what are you going to do with this?
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CA: Čo teda -- čo s tým spravíš?
03:07
WKWK: UmUM --
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WK: Hm --
03:09
CACA: What do you -- I mean -- do you want to buildvybudovať anotherďalší one?
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CA: Čo -- chcem povedať -- postavíš ďaľší?
03:13
WKWK: Yeah, I want to buildvybudovať anotherďalší one --
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WK: Hej. Chcem postaviť ďaľší --
03:16
to pumpčerpadlo watervoda and irrigationzavlažovanie for cropsplodiny.
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na pumpovanie vody a zavlažovanie -- na zavlažovanie pôdy.
03:21
CACA: So this one would have to be biggerväčšia?
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CA: Takže ďaľší musí byť väčší?
03:23
WKWK: Yeah.
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WK: Hej.
03:24
CACA: How bigveľký?
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CA: Aký veľký?
03:25
WKWK: I think it will producevyrobiť more than 20 the wattswattov.
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WK: Myslím, že bude produkovať 20 wattov.
03:31
CACA: So that would producevyrobiť irrigationzavlažovanie for the entirecelý villageobec?
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CA: Takže to vyrieši zavlažovanie celej dediny?
03:35
WKWK: Yeah.
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WK: Hej.
03:37
CACA: WowWow. And so you're talkingrozprávanie to people here at TEDTED
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CA: Wow. A preto hovoríš k ľuďom tu v TED,
03:40
to get people who mightsila be ableschopný to help in some way
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aby pomohli nejakým spôsobom --
03:44
to realizerealizovať this dreamsnívať?
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naplniť tento sen?
03:46
WKWK: Yeah, if they can help me with materialsmateriály, yeah.
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WK: Hej, ak mi môžu pomôcť s materiálom, áno.
03:50
CACA: And as you think of your life going forwardvpred,
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CA: A keď premýšľaš o svojej budúcnosti,
03:53
you're 19 now,
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teraz máš 19,
03:56
do you pictureobrázok continuingpokračovať with this dreamsnívať of workingpracovný in energyenergie?
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pôjdeš za týmto snom, pracovať s energiou?
04:00
WKWK: Yeah. I'm still thinkingpremýšľanie to work on energyenergie.
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WK: Hej. Chystám sa pracovať s energiou.
04:05
CACA: WowWow. WilliamWilliam, it's a realskutočný honorčesť to have you at the TEDTED conferencekonferencie.
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CA: William, je mi veľkou cťou, že si prišiel na TED konferenciu.
04:09
Thank you so much for comingPrichádza.
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Naozaj ti veľmi ďakujem za účasť.
04:11
WKWK: Thank you.
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WK: Ďakujem.
04:13
(ApplausePotlesk)
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(Potlesk)
Translated by Lucia Lukanova
Reviewed by Dana Retová

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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