Since then, he has built a solar-powered water pump[1] that supplies the first drinking water in his village and two other wind turbines, the tallest standing at 12 meters (39 ft), and is planning two more, including one in Lilongwe, the political capital of Malawi. It is generally told neutrally, but fluctuates from playful to depressing to hopeful as he grows up and encounters many hardships. William has inspired a number of our students to become much more involved in their communities, working at the grass roots level to create more "green" power devices. Text. The story of William Kamkwamba, aka "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," is true, but it isn't new and has been extensively covered in the media. A blog about his accomplishments was written on Hacktivate and Kamkwamba took part in the first event celebrating his particular type of ingenuity called Maker Faire Africa in Ghana in August 2009. The Netflix film adaptation, directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the Sundance Film festival. The villagers were very confused by all of this and thought he was doing drugs. At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. As a result, the singer tried to remove him from the scene and Trywell fought policemen and civilians alike to maintain his spot on the dance floor. As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Chapel Hill, North Carolina December 10, 2016. As part of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Funds Global Voices Interview Series, they interview William Kamkwamba, Malawian innovator and author, about his life story, and the book and film, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. William Kamkwamba Quotes (Author of Boy Who Harnessed the Wind) - Goodreads The magic was administered by placing a paste made of ground leopard and lion bones into cuts made on the knuckles with small incisions. William Kamkwamba - Museum of Science and Industry His story was covered by Sarah Childress for The Wall Street Journal. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. The windmill he built powers four lights and two radios in his family home. More books than SparkNotes. In 2010, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was selected as the University of Florida and Boise State University common book, required for all incoming students to read. William Kamkwamba | Speaker | TED Please contact your hosting provider to ensure that an up-to-date and valid SSL certificate issued by a Certificate Authority is configured for this domain name on the origin server. He shared that he wanted to go back to school and continue his education. He was not a completely moral man, still participating in fights and alcohol, but he "generally stayed away from the bar girls." One day, Trywell's reputation preceded him, and it would be for the woman he was to marry. Kamkwamba is the subject of the documentary film William and the Windmill, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the 2013 South By Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas.