William Kamkwamba: How I built a windmill

TED

1 Aug 200706:09

Summary

TLDRIn this TED Talk, 19-year-old William Kamkwamba from Malawi shares his inspiring journey of building a windmill at age 14 to provide electricity for his family's home. Using materials like a bicycle frame and a plastic pipe, he crafted a four-blade windmill that generated 12 watts of power, enough to light four bulbs and power two radios. Despite dropping out of school, he was driven by a book from the library to harness energy. His next ambition is to construct a larger windmill to pump water for irrigation, potentially benefiting his entire village. Kamkwamba seeks assistance with materials to realize this dream and expresses his ongoing passion for working in energy.

Takeaways

🌍 William Kamkwamba is from Malawi, Kasungu.
🎓 At the age of 19, he had already built a windmill.
📚 He got the idea to build a windmill after reading a book from the library titled 'Using Energy'.
🔧 His first windmill had four blades, compared to the three-bladed design in the book, to increase power.
🔩 He constructed the windmill using a bicycle frame, a pulley, and a plastic pipe.
⚙️ The windmill generated 12 watts of electricity, enough to power four light bulbs and two radios.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 His parents were impressed with his achievement.
💡 William's next goal was to build a larger windmill to pump water for irrigation.
🌱 The new windmill was expected to produce more than 20 watts of power, benefiting the entire village.
🤝 He sought help at TED to acquire materials and support for his energy projects.
🔭 William aspires to continue working in the field of energy.

Q & A

Where is William Kamkwamba from?
-William Kamkwamba is from Malawi, specifically from Kasungu.
How old is William Kamkwamba in the script?
-William Kamkwamba is 19 years old in the script.
What was William's idea when he was younger?
-William's idea was to make a windmill.
What was the purpose of the windmill William wanted to build?
-The purpose of the windmill was to generate electricity for lighting and other uses.
How did William learn about building a windmill?
-William learned about building a windmill from a book titled 'Using Energy' that he read at the library after dropping out of school.
What was unique about the design of William's windmill compared to the one in the book?
-The design in the book had three blades, but William's windmill had four blades to increase power.
What materials did William use to construct his windmill?
-William used a bicycle frame, a pulley, and a plastic pipe to construct his windmill.
How much electricity did William's windmill generate?
-William's windmill generated 12 watts of electricity.
What could the electricity generated by the windmill power?
-The electricity generated could power four bulbs and two radios.
What was the reaction of William's parents to his windmill project?
-William's parents were impressed with his windmill project.
What is William's next goal regarding windmill construction?
-William's next goal is to build a larger windmill to pump water for irrigation of crops, which would produce more than 20 watts.
How does William hope to achieve his next windmill project?
-William hopes to achieve his next windmill project with the help of people at TED who might be able to provide materials.
What are William's future aspirations in the field of energy?
-William aspires to continue working in the field of energy.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 William Kamkwamba's Windmill Invention

In this TED Talk, Chris Anderson interviews William Kamkwamba, a 19-year-old from Malawi. William shares his story of how he built a windmill at the age of 14 using a bicycle frame, a pulley, and a plastic pipe. He was inspired by a book he read at the library titled 'Using Energy.' His windmill has four blades, which he designed to increase power output compared to the three-blade design in the book. The windmill generates 12 watts of electricity, enough to power four light bulbs and two radios in his home. William's parents are shown in a picture holding a radio, indicating their support and amazement at his accomplishment. William expresses his desire to build a larger windmill capable of pumping water for irrigation, which would produce more than 20 watts of power. He seeks assistance with materials to realize this dream and envisions a future working in the field of energy.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Windmill

A windmill is a structure that converts the energy of wind into rotational energy. In the context of the video, William Kamkwamba built a windmill to generate electricity for his home in Malawi. His windmill was a creative solution to the lack of electricity, showcasing his ingenuity and resourcefulness.

💡Malawi

Malawi is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa. It serves as the backdrop for William's story, highlighting the challenges of living in a region with limited resources and infrastructure. The video emphasizes the importance of local innovation in addressing energy poverty.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. William's windmill is a prime example of innovation, as he used available materials to create a solution for his community's energy needs.

💡Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness is the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. William demonstrated resourcefulness by constructing a windmill from a bicycle frame, a pulley, and a plastic pipe, showcasing his ability to use limited resources effectively.

💡Education

Education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. William's education, albeit brief, played a crucial role in his life. He learned about windmills from a library book, which inspired him to build his own, emphasizing the transformative power of education.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the ability to maintain a certain process or state in the long term. William's windmill is a sustainable solution to energy needs, as it harnesses renewable wind energy, reducing dependence on non-renewable resources.

💡Energy

Energy is the capacity for doing work as measured by the capability of doing work (potential energy) or the conversion of this capability to motion (kinetic energy). In the video, William's focus on energy is central to his efforts to improve living conditions in his village through the creation of a windmill.

💡Irrigation

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to land or soil. William's ambition to build a larger windmill for irrigation purposes highlights the broader applications of his invention, aiming to support agricultural productivity in his community.

💡Materials

Materials in this context refer to the substances used to construct the windmill. William's use of a bicycle frame, a pulley, and a plastic pipe exemplifies the innovative use of everyday materials to achieve a significant technological advancement.

💡Community

Community refers to a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. The video underscores the importance of community in William's journey, as his invention has the potential to benefit his entire village by providing electricity and improving agricultural practices.

💡Dream

A dream in this context is an aspiration or a goal. William's dream of working in energy and building a larger windmill for his village reflects his determination and vision, illustrating the power of dreams to drive personal and societal progress.

Highlights

William Kamkwamba introduces his home in Malawi, Kasungu.

At 19 years old, William shares his idea of building a windmill at the age of 14.

William's windmill was intended to provide lighting and power.

After dropping out of school, William found inspiration in a book called 'Using Energy'.

He successfully built his first windmill using scrap materials.

William's windmill design has four blades, differing from the book's three-blade design.

The four-blade design was chosen to increase power output.

Materials used for the windmill included a bicycle frame, a pulley, and a plastic pipe.

The windmill generated 12 watts of electricity, enough to power four bulbs and two radios.

William's parents are shown holding a radio, impressed by their son's invention.

William aspires to build another windmill for water pumping and crop irrigation.

The next windmill is planned to be larger, producing more than 20 watts.

William envisions the new windmill providing irrigation for the entire village.

He seeks help at TED to acquire materials for his next project.

William expresses his ongoing interest in working with energy.

Chris Anderson honors William's presence at the TED conference.