A teenager in Malawi, Africa, brought electricity and running water to his village by building a windmill out of rubbish.
William Kamkwamba lived through a severe drought in 2002 that killed thousands of people in Malawi and almost caused his family to starve to death. During the drought he was unable to go to school but continued to read books and study alone.
During his study William found a textbook about windmills and was fascinated by how they could create electricity and pump water. When he realised that such a device could help defend his family he decided to build one of his own.
Many of the villagers thought William had lost his mind, spending his time going through the trash and staying up well into the night building something most of them had never even heard of.
William’s neighbours and family were amazed when his windmill was complete and he showed them how it could be used to power light and pump water. He certainly became a local hero!
