Inventions
What did William Kamkwamba build to provide electricity to his village?
He built a a windmill.
What caused William to drop out of school?
The inability to pay tuition caused William to rrop out of school.
What change did William's windmills bring to the village?
His windmills brought electricity to his village.
At what age did William start building his windmills?
He was only 14 at the time.
What materials did William use to construct his first windmill?
He used an old bicycle and scrap metal.
How often did William's family eat during the famine?
His family ate only once a day.
How did William's story reach a wider audience?
His story reached a wider audience through blogs and newspaper articles.
Who published the story "The boy who harnessed the wind" about William in 2009?
Bryan Mealer, an American journalist, published the story.
How tall was the 1st windmill William built?
It was 5 meters.
What was the reaction of the villagers when William started building windmills?
They thought he was crazy.
What significant did William make to his old primary school?
He finished a project to build new classrooms for his old primary school which is equipped with laptops that run on energy from his windmills.
Where is William currently studying?
He is studying for a degree in America.
What was the additional windmill used for in William's village?
It was used to irrigate crops.
What challenge did his village of Masitala in Malawi face?
His village faced a famine. 10000 people died of starvation in Malawi.
Which obstacles of his village he managed to overcome?
He managed to struggle troubles of darkness and hunger.
What happened then when the story about William was published? How did people react?
Influential people started to see that he was a real asset to his country. He was invited to speak at conferences, he had documentaries about him. Universities abroad offered him scholarships.
What innovative idea did William have for providing energy to his old primary school?
Laptops are running on energy from windmills.
What does William still worry about?
He still worries about the problem of firewood. His mother has no choice but to walk three hours to collect a handful of wood to cook the family meal.
How did William's village benefit from his generous donations?
Now his village has clean drinking water and solar panels.
What does William hope to achieve in the future for his village?
He introduces more innovative ideas like solar ovens made out of tinfoil.