ABOUT THE SPEAKER
William Kamkwamba - Inventor
To power his family's home, young William Kamkwamba built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap -- starting him on a journey detailed in the book and film "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind."

Why you should listen

William Kamkwamba, from Malawi, is a born inventor. When he was 14, he built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap, working from rough plans he found in a library book called Using Energy and modifying them to fit his needs. The windmill he built powers four lights and two radios in his family home.

After reading about Kamkwamba on Mike McKay's blog Hactivate (which picked up the story from a local Malawi newspaper), TEDGlobal Conference Director Emeka Okafor spent several weeks tracking him down at his home in Masitala Village, Wimbe, and invited him to attend TEDGlobal on a fellowship. Onstage, Kamkwamba talked about his invention and shared his dreams: to build a larger windmill to help with irrigation for his entire village, and to go back to school.

Following Kamkwamba's moving talk, there was an outpouring of support for him and his promising work. Members of the TED community got together to help him improve his power system (by incorporating solar energy), and further his education through school and mentorships. Subsequent projects have included clean water, malaria prevention, solar power and lighting for the six homes in his family compound; a deep-water well with a solar-powered pump for clean water; and a drip irrigation system. Kamkwamba himself returned to school, and is now attending the African Leadership Academy, a new pan-African prep school outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

Kamkwamba's story is documented in his autobiography, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. A  documentary about Kamkwamba, called William and the Windmill, won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury award at SXSW in 2013 (watch a trailer ). You can support his work and other young inventors at MovingWindmills.org.


More profile about the speaker
William Kamkwamba | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2007

William Kamkwamba: How I built a windmill

Уилям Камкуамба за построяването на вятърна мелница

Filmed:
2,952,899 views

Едва 14-годишен, малавийският изобретател Уилям Камкуамба построява за семейството си вятърна мелница - генератор за електричество от подръчни материали, с помощта на груби чертежи, които открива в една библиотечна книга.
- Inventor
To power his family's home, young William Kamkwamba built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap -- starting him on a journey detailed in the book and film "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind." Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:29
ChrisКрис AndersonАндерсън: WilliamУилям, hiздрасти. Good to see you.
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Крис Андерсън: Здравей, Уилям. Радвам се да те видя.
00:31
WilliamУилям KamkwambaКамкуамба: ThanksБлагодаря.
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Уилям Камкуамба: Благодаря.
00:32
CACA: So, we'veние имаме got a pictureснимка, I think? Where is this?
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КА: И така - мисля, че имаме картина? Къде е това?
00:37
WKWK: This is my home. This is where I liveживея.
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УК: Това е домът ми. Там живея.
00:41
CACA: Where? What countryдържава?
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КА: Къде? В коя страна?
00:43
WKWK: In MalawiМалави, KasunguКасунгу. In KasunguКасунгу. Yeah, MalaМала.
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УК: В Малави, Касунгу. В Касунгу. Да. Мала.
00:46
CACA: OK. Now, you're 19 now?
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КА: Ясно. Значи, сега си на 19?
00:49
WKWK: Yeah. I'm 19 yearsгодини now.
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УК: Да. Сега съм на 19.
00:51
CACA: FiveПет yearsгодини agoпреди you had an ideaидея. What was that?
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КА: Преди пет години ти е хрумнала идея. Каква беше тя?
00:54
WKWK: I wanted to make a windmillвятърна мелница.
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УК: Исках да направя вятърна мелница.
00:56
CACA: A windmillвятърна мелница?
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КА: Вятърна мелница?
00:57
WKWK: Yeah.
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УК: Да.
00:58
CACA: What, to powerмощност -- for lightingосветление and stuffматерия?
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КА: А за какво - електричество, за осветление и такива неща?
01:02
WKWK: Yeah.
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УК: Да.
01:04
CACA: So what did you do? How did you realizeосъзнавам that?
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КА: И какво направи? Как го реализира?
01:07
WKWK: After I droppedспадна out of schoolучилище, I wentотидох to libraryбиблиотека,
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УК: След като напуснах училище, отидох в библиотеката
01:11
and I readПрочети a bookКнига that would -- "UsingИзползване на EnergyЕнергия,"
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и прочетох една книга - "Употреба на енергията" -
01:15
and I get informationинформация about doing the millмелница.
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оттам взех информация как да направя мелницата.
01:18
And I triedопитах, and I madeизработен it.
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Опитах и я направих.
01:20
(ApplauseАплодисменти)
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(Аплодисменти)
01:30
CACA: So you copiedкопирани -- you exactlyточно copiedкопирани the designдизайн in the bookКнига.
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КА: Значи си копирал - копирал си точно проекта от книгата?
01:34
WKWK: AhАх, no. I just --
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УК: А, не. Аз просто...
01:36
CACA: What happenedсе случи?
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КА: Какво се случи?
01:38
WKWK: In factфакт, a designдизайн of the windmillвятърна мелница that was in the bookКнига,
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УК: Всъщност, моделът за мелница в книгата
01:42
it has got fourчетирима -- ahах -- threeтри bladesостриета,
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имаше четири - а, три крила,
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and mineмоята has got fourчетирима bladesостриета.
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а моята имаше четири крила.
01:49
CACA: The bookКнига had threeтри, yoursтвой had fourчетирима.
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КА: В книгата е имало три, а твоята е имала четири.
01:51
WKWK: Yeah.
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УК: Да.
01:52
CACA: And you madeизработен it out of what?
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КА: А от какво я направи?
01:54
WKWK: I madeизработен fourчетирима bladesостриета, just because I want to increaseнараства powerмощност.
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УК: Направих четири крила, само защото исках да увелича мощността.
01:59
CACA: OK.
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КА: Ясно.
02:00
WKWK: Yeah.
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УК: Да.
02:01
CACA: You testedизпитан threeтри, and foundнамерено that fourчетирима workedработил better?
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Тествал си я с три и си разбрал, че с четири работи по-добре?
02:03
WKWK: Yeah. I testтест.
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УК: Да. Тествах я.
02:05
CACA: And what did you make the windmillвятърна мелница out of?
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КА: А от какво си направил вятърната мелница?
02:08
What materialsматериали did you use?
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Какви... материали си използвал?
02:10
WKWK: I use a bicycleвелосипед frameкадър, and a pulleyролка, and plasticпластмаса pipeтръба, what then pullsдърпа --
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УК: Използвах рамка от велосипед, макара и пластмасова тръба, която после тегли...
02:16
CACA: Do we have a pictureснимка of that? Can we have the nextследващия slideпързалка?
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КА: Имаме ли снимка на това? Може ли да видим следващия кадър?
02:19
WKWK: Yeah. The windmillвятърна мелница.
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УК: Да. Мелницата.
02:21
CACA: And so, and that windmillвятърна мелница, what -- it workedработил?
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КА: И така, тази мелница... какво стана, работеше ли?
02:25
WKWK: When the windвятър blowsудари, it rotatesвърти and generatesгенерира.
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УК: Когато духа вятър, се върти и генерира.
02:30
CACA: How much electricityелектричество?
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КА: Колко електричество?
02:31
WKWK: 12 wattsвата.
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УК: 12 вата.
02:33
CACA: And so, that litпийнал a lightсветлина for the houseкъща? How manyмного lightsсветлини?
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КА: Значи това захранва лампите в къщата? Колко лампи?
02:38
WKWK: FourЧетири bulbsкрушки and two radiosрадиостанции.
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УК: Четири крушки и две радиа.
02:40
CACA: WowУау.
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КА: Уау.
02:41
WKWK: Yeah.
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УК: Да.
02:42
(ApplauseАплодисменти) CACA: NextСледваща slideпързалка --
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КА: И така... (Аплодисменти)... следващият кадър...
02:52
so who'sкой е that?
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А тези кои са?
02:54
WKWK: This is my parentsродители, holdingдържеше the radioрадио.
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Това са родителите ми, купуват радиото.
02:57
CACA: So what did they make of -- that you were 14, 15 at the time --
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КА: А те какво смятаха... по онова време си бил на 14-15 години...
03:01
what did they make of this? They were impressedвпечатлен?
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какво беше мнението им? Впечатлиха ли се?
03:04
WKWK: Yeah.
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УК: Да.
03:05
CACA: And so what's your -- what are you going to do with this?
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КА: И така, какво... какво ще правиш с това?
03:07
WKWK: UmUM --
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УК: Ами...
03:09
CACA: What do you -- I mean -- do you want to buildпострои anotherоще one?
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КА: Какво... искам да кажа... искаш ли да построиш друга?
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WKWK: Yeah, I want to buildпострои anotherоще one --
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УК: Да, искам да построя друга...
03:16
to pumpпомпа waterвода and irrigationнапояване for cropsкултури.
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за изпомпване на вода и напояване - напояване на посеви.
03:21
CACA: So this one would have to be biggerпо-голям?
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КА: Значи тази ще трябва да е по-голяма?
03:23
WKWK: Yeah.
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УК: Да.
03:24
CACA: How bigголям?
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КА: Колко голяма?
03:25
WKWK: I think it will produceпродукция more than 20 the wattsвата.
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УК: Смятам, че ще произвежда повече от 20 вата.
03:31
CACA: So that would produceпродукция irrigationнапояване for the entireцял villageсело?
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КА: Значи ще е достатъчно за напояване в цялото село?
03:35
WKWK: Yeah.
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УК: Да.
03:37
CACA: WowУау. And so you're talkingговорим to people here at TEDТЕД
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КА: Уау. И ти говориш пред хората тук, в TED,
03:40
to get people who mightбиха могли, може be ableспособен to help in some way
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за да намериш хора, които могат да ти помогнат някак да...
03:44
to realizeосъзнавам this dreamмечта?
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да осъществиш тази мечта?
03:46
WKWK: Yeah, if they can help me with materialsматериали, yeah.
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УК: Да - ако могат да ми помогнат... с материали, да.
03:50
CACA: And as you think of your life going forwardнапред,
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КА: А като мислиш за живота си по-нататък -
03:53
you're 19 now,
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сега си на 19 години...
03:56
do you pictureснимка continuingпродължаващото with this dreamмечта of workingработа in energyенергия?
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представяш ли си да продължиш с тази мечта, да работиш с енергия?
04:00
WKWK: Yeah. I'm still thinkingмислене to work on energyенергия.
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УК: Да. Смятам да продължа да работя с енергия.
04:05
CACA: WowУау. WilliamУилям, it's a realреален honorчест to have you at the TEDТЕД conferenceконференция.
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КА: Уау. Уилям, истинска чест е да си тук, на конференцията на TED.
04:09
Thank you so much for comingидващ.
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Много ти благодаря, че дойде.
04:11
WKWK: Thank you.
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Аз ви благодаря.
04:13
(ApplauseАплодисменти)
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(Аплодисменти)
Translated by MaYoMo com
Reviewed by Christina Bozhidarova

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
William Kamkwamba - Inventor
To power his family's home, young William Kamkwamba built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap -- starting him on a journey detailed in the book and film "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind."

Why you should listen

William Kamkwamba, from Malawi, is a born inventor. When he was 14, he built an electricity-producing windmill from spare parts and scrap, working from rough plans he found in a library book called Using Energy and modifying them to fit his needs. The windmill he built powers four lights and two radios in his family home.

After reading about Kamkwamba on Mike McKay's blog Hactivate (which picked up the story from a local Malawi newspaper), TEDGlobal Conference Director Emeka Okafor spent several weeks tracking him down at his home in Masitala Village, Wimbe, and invited him to attend TEDGlobal on a fellowship. Onstage, Kamkwamba talked about his invention and shared his dreams: to build a larger windmill to help with irrigation for his entire village, and to go back to school.

Following Kamkwamba's moving talk, there was an outpouring of support for him and his promising work. Members of the TED community got together to help him improve his power system (by incorporating solar energy), and further his education through school and mentorships. Subsequent projects have included clean water, malaria prevention, solar power and lighting for the six homes in his family compound; a deep-water well with a solar-powered pump for clean water; and a drip irrigation system. Kamkwamba himself returned to school, and is now attending the African Leadership Academy, a new pan-African prep school outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

Kamkwamba's story is documented in his autobiography, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. A  documentary about Kamkwamba, called William and the Windmill, won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury award at SXSW in 2013 (watch a trailer ). You can support his work and other young inventors at MovingWindmills.org.


More profile about the speaker
William Kamkwamba | Speaker | TED.com