Storytime: "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Summary
TLDRIn 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,' Miss Renee narrates the inspiring true story of William Kamkwamba, a young boy from Malawi who, despite poverty and famine, dreams of building a windmill to bring electricity and water to his village. Using found materials and a library's science books, he overcomes skepticism and challenges to create a functioning windmill, symbolizing the power of innovation and resilience in the face of adversity.
Takeaways
- 📚 The book 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' is a true story written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
- 🌍 Set in Malawi, it tells the tale of a young boy who, despite poverty, dreams of building things and learning about science.
- 🌑 The village faces severe drought and famine, leading to a lack of food and forcing William's family to eat only one meal a day.
- 🏫 William is forced to drop out of school due to the family's financial struggles.
- 📖 He finds solace and knowledge in the local library, where he learns about engines, radios, and windmills.
- 🌬 William gets inspired by the idea that windmills can produce electricity and pump water, which could help his drought-stricken village.
- 🛠️ He embarks on a project to build a windmill from scrap materials, facing skepticism and ridicule from his community.
- 🔨 With the help of his cousin and best friend, William constructs a windmill tower using local resources like blue gum trees.
- 💡 His windmill succeeds in producing electricity, lighting a bulb and earning the admiration of his community.
- 🌱 William envisions a future where windmills can irrigate the fields and feed his country, using renewable energy to combat hunger.
- 🌟 The real-life William Kamkwamba's story gained international attention, leading to educational opportunities and the installation of a solar-powered water pump in his village.
Q & A
Who is the author of 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind'?
-The book is written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
What is the main theme of the book?
-The main theme of the book is the true story of a young boy in Africa who builds a windmill to bring power to his village.
What does the book emphasize about William's character?
-The book emphasizes William's creativity, problem-solving skills, and determination to improve the conditions of his village.
Why did nightfall come quickly in William's village?
-Nightfall came quickly in William's village because people had no money for lights.
What was William's dream as a child?
-William dreamed of building things and taking them apart, such as trucks with bottle cap wheels and pieces of a radio.
What was the impact of the lack of rain on the village?
-The lack of rain led to scorched fields, turning the maize into dust, causing hunger and starvation in Malawi.
Why did William have to drop out of school?
-William had to drop out of school because his family could no longer afford it due to the economic hardship caused by the drought.
How did William educate himself after dropping out of school?
-William educated himself by visiting the library and reading science books, using an English dictionary to understand the content.
What was the significance of the windmill in William's vision for his village?
-The windmill was significant because it could produce electricity to bring light to the village and pump water to irrigate the fields, fighting hunger.
What materials did William use to build the windmill?
-William used materials like a tractor fan, rusted bottle caps, plastic pipe, and a small generator to build the windmill.
How did the villagers react to William's windmill project?
-Initially, the villagers called him 'masala' (crazy) and teased him, but after the windmill worked, they clapped and cheered.
What recognition did William receive for his achievements?
-In 2007, William was discovered by journalists and invited to speak at a TED conference in Tanzania.
What was the outcome of the donations William received after his TED talk?
-The donations helped send William back to school and install a solar-powered water pump that irrigates his father's fields.
Why are renewable resources like wind energy important according to the book?
-Renewable resources like wind energy are important because they offer sustainable solutions to energy needs and can contribute to solving problems like hunger and poverty.
Outlines
📚 Inspiring Tale of Innovation: 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind'
In this video script, Miss Renee introduces the audience to the inspiring true story of 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,' written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. Set in Malawi, the narrative follows the journey of a young boy, William, who, despite the harsh realities of poverty and famine, dreams of harnessing the power of the wind to bring electricity and water to his village. His curiosity and inventive spirit lead him to build a windmill from scrap materials, which not only illuminates his home but also symbolizes hope and the potential of renewable energy. The story emphasizes the importance of creativity and initiative in solving community problems, especially in the face of adversity.
🌪 Triumph Over Adversity: William's Windmill and Its Impact
The second paragraph delves deeper into the life of William Kamkwamba, the real-life hero behind the book. After dropping out of school due to financial constraints, William's resourcefulness led him to the library, where he educated himself on science and engineering. His determination to build a windmill using a car battery and scrap materials eventually paid off, as it powered light bulbs and later a water pump, transforming his family's farm and life in his village. The story concludes with William's recognition at a TED conference in Tanzania, which led to further support for his education and the installation of a solar-powered water pump. The paragraph highlights the power of education, innovation, and the human spirit to overcome challenges and effect change.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Windmill
💡Malawi
💡Renewable Energy
💡Innovation
💡Drought
💡Education
💡Problem Solving
💡Hunger
💡Community
💡Magic
💡TED Conference
Highlights
Introduction of the book 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
The book is based on a true story about a young boy in Africa who builds a windmill to bring power to his village.
The setting is in a small village in Malawi where people had no money for lights and nightfall came quickly.
William's dreams of building things and his curiosity about how things work, such as trucks and radios.
The impact of drought on the village, leading to food scarcity and the need to adapt to one meal per day.
William's father's decision to make him drop out of school due to financial difficulties.
William's discovery of the library and his self-education using science books and a dictionary.
His realization that windmills can produce electricity and pump water, leading to an idea to help his village.
William's determination to build a windmill despite the community's skepticism and calling him 'masala', meaning crazy.
The process of gathering materials from a junkyard and the challenges faced in building the windmill.
The construction of the windmill tower using blue gum trees and the community's mixed reactions.
The successful operation of the windmill, producing electricity and bringing light to the village.
The broader implications of the windmill for William's village, providing a solution to hunger and drought.
The real-life story of William Kamkwamba, his background, and the impact of his windmill invention.
William's recognition and invitation to speak at a TED conference in Tanzania, leading to further support for his projects.
The installation of a solar-powered water pump, thanks to donations, which irrigates the fields and supports agriculture.
The importance of renewable resources like wind energy and the inspiration of William's story for creative problem-solving.
An invitation for readers to share their thoughts, learnings, and suggestions for future book readings.
Transcripts
[Music]
hi
everyone miss renee here from pasadena
water empower
today we're going to be reading the book
the boy who harnessed the wind
this book is written by william
kumquamba and brian mieler
this book is actually a true story which
is what i love most about it
it's about a young boy in africa who
builds a windmill so he can bring power
to his village
so let's get settled in find a comfy
spot whether you're inside your house or
outside in the yard
let's get cozy and ready to read
together all right let's get started
the boy who harnessed the wind
in a small village in malawi where
people had no money for lights
nightfall came quickly and hurried poor
farmers to bed
but for william the darkness was best
for dreaming
he dreamed of building things and taking
them apart
like the trucks with bottle cap wheels
parked under his bed
and pieces of radio that he'd cracked
open and wondered if i can hear the
music then where is the band
his grandpa's tales of magic also
whispered in the pitch black of his room
which planes passed through the windows
while ghost dancers twirled around the
room
as if a hundred men were inside their
bodies
at dawn in the fields william scanned
the maze rose for magical beings
and then wondered as a truck rumbled
past how does its engine make it go
pay attention where you throw that hoe
his father shouted you'll cut off your
foot
so here's william working in the fields
for all its power over dancers and
flying things
magic could not bring the rain and
without water the sun rose angry each
morning and scorched the fields
turning the maze into dust and without
food
malawi began to starve
soon william's father gathered the
children and said from now on we eat
only one
meal per day make it last and in the
evenings they sat around the lantern and
ate their handful
watching hungry people pass like spirits
along the roads
this is them eating money also
disappeared with the rain
papani his father said i'm sorry you
will have to drop out of school
and now william stood on the road and
watched the lucky students pass
alone with the monster in his belly and
the lump in his throat
and for weeks he sulked under the mango
tree
until he remembered the library down the
road a gift from the americans
he found science books filled with
brilliant pictures and with his english
dictionary close by william put together
how engines moved those big trucks and
how radios pulled their music from the
sky
but the greatest picture of all was a
machine taller than the tallest tree
with blades like a fan
a giant pinwheel something to catch
magic
and slowly he built the sentence
windmills can produce electricity
and pump water he closed his eyes and
saw a windmill outside his home
pulling electricity from the breeze and
bringing light to the dark valley
and he saw the machine drawing cool
water from the ground
sending it gushing through the thirsty
fields turning the maze tall
and green even when the farmer's prayers
for rain went unanswered
this windmill was more than a machine it
was a weapon to fight
hunger magetsi amatheo he whispered
i will build electric wind
in the junkyard pieces appeared like
rusted treasure in the tall grass
a tractor fan some pipe and bearings and
bolts that required
every muscle to remove tonga he'd shout
to the birds and spiders holding up his
prize
but as william drang his medals home
people called out
this boy is masala only crazy people
played with trash
after many weeks william arranged his
pieces in the dirt
a broken bicycle rusted bottle caps and
plastic pipe
even a small generator that powered a
headlight on a bike
and for three days he bolted banged and
tinkered while chickens squawked and
dogs barked and neighbors shook their
heads saying
what's masala doing now
his cousin jeffrey and best friend
gilbert soon appeared
mulibonji they greeted can we help with
electric wind
grab your pangas and follow me he said
and took them into the forest
and together they swung their sharp
blades into the trunks of blue gum tree
blue gum trees they hammered them
together to make the tower
and standing atop william shouted bring
it up while the boys tugged and heaved
a crowd gathered below and gazed at the
strange machine
that now leaned and wobbled like a
clumsy giraffe
some giggles others teased but william
waited for the
wind like always it came
first a breeze then a gusting gale
and the tower swayed and the blades spun
round
oh it's working with sore hands once
slowed by hunger and darkness
william connected wires to a small bulb
which flickered at first
then surged as bright as the sun tonga
he shouted i have made electric
wind oh look at that
a man yelled well done as the doubters
clapped and cheered william knew he had
just begun
light could not fill empty bellies but
another windmill could soak the dry
ground
creating food where once there was none
electric wind can feed my country
william thought
and that was the strongest magic of all
the end so the back of this book
actually tells us all about
william cumba who is a real person and
the author
and hero of our book he was born in 1987
and like many people in maui and the
rest of the sub-saharan africa
william's father tribal was a farmer
so they grew corn that's maze when we
hear the word maize we're talking about
corn
and when he could no longer go to school
william did have to drop out
but instead of sulking around he began
visiting a library
and there he found books on science and
even though he didn't speak good english
he used the dictionaries to learn them
and that's where he did get the idea of
the windmill
this is all a true story and when
william finally was able to
you know power that windmill with a car
battery it allowed him to put light
bulbs in his parents home even
his dream of pumping water wasn't
achieved until several years later
but it did come true and in 2007 william
was
discovered by some journalists and
invited to speak at a ted conference in
tanzania
he'd never been in an airplane or even
seen the internet
and people were moved by his story and
donated money to
not only help send him back to school
but also to install a solar-powered
water pump
that irrigates his father's fields so
that is the story of william kumquambi
and the boy who harnessed the wind
i hope you enjoyed that book as much as
i did renewable resources like wind
energy are a really important part of
our future
what i love most is that williams saw a
need in his village and he took the
initiative and was creative about
problem solving
you can do that too if you liked the
book please let me know i want to hear
from you
write me a letter draw me a picture send
me an email
let me know what you thought what you
learned from the book what you liked
and if there's other books you'd like us
to read together have a great day
[Music]
you
Voir Plus de Vidéos Connexes
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William Kamkwamba: How I built a windmill
William Kamkwamba: 'How I Harnessed the Wind' (TED Talks, 2009)
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Kisah Inspiratif Miliarder Muda Thailand yang Jualan Cemilan - Alur Cerita Film
The Sustainable Solution to Our World’s Pressing Problems | Aisa Mijeno | TEDxiACADEMY
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