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

ویلیەم کەمکوامبا: چۆن ئاشی هەوایەکم دروست کرد؟

Filmed:
2,952,899 views

کاتێک تەنها چواردە ساڵ بوو، ویلیەم کەمکوابای داهێنەر له‌ مالاوی، بزوێنەرێکی کارەبایی بۆ خیزانەکەی دروست کرد، کە بە ئاشبایەک کاری دەکرد، بە بەکارهێنانی پارچەی یەدەگ، بە تاقیکردنەوە و کارکردن بە چەند پلانێکی سەخت، کە لە کتێبێکی کتێبخانەدا دۆزیبویەوە.
- 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
Chris Anderson: William, hi. Good to see you.
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کریس: سڵاو خۆشحاڵم بە بینینت
00:31
William Kamkwamba: Thanks.
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ویلیەم: سوپاس
00:32
CA: So, we've got a picture, I think? Where is this?
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کریس: وێنەیەکمان هه‌یه‌، ئەوە کوێیە؟
00:37
WK: This is my home. This is where I live.
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ویلیەم: ئەمە ماڵەکەمە، لێرە دەژیم.
00:41
CA: Where? What country?
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کریس: لە کوێ؟ چ وڵاتێک؟
00:43
WK: In Malawi, Kasungu. In Kasungu. Yeah, Mala.
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ویلیەم: کاسونگو، مالا.
00:46
CA: OK. Now, you're 19 now?
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کریس: تۆ ئێستا ١٩ ساڵیت؟
00:49
WK: Yeah. I'm 19 years now.
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ویلیەم: بەڵێ، ئێستا ١٩ـم.
کریس: پێنج ساڵ بەر لە ئێستا
بیرۆرکەیەکت بۆ هات، چی بوو؟
00:51
CA: Five years ago you had an idea. What was that?
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00:54
WK: I wanted to make a windmill.
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.ویلیەم: ویستم ئاشی هەوا دروست بکەم
00:56
CA: A windmill?
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کویس: ئاشی هەوا؟
00:57
WK: Yeah.
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.ویلیەم: بەڵێ
00:58
CA: What, to power -- for lighting and stuff?
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کریس: بۆ وه‌گه‌ڕ خستنی وزەی ڕوناکی
و ئەو شتانە؟
01:02
WK: Yeah.
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.ویلیەم: بەڵێ
کریس: چیت کرد؟ چۆن ئەوەت بۆ هات؟
01:04
CA: So what did you do? How did you realize that?
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01:07
WK: After I dropped out of school, I went to library,
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ویلیەم: پاش ئەوەی وازم لە قوتابخانەهێنا
.چومه‌ کتێبخانە
01:11
and I read a book that would -- "Using Energy,"
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.کتێبێکم خوێندەوە -- بەکارهێنانی وزە
01:15
and I get information about doing the mill.
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.زانیاریم دەستکەوت لەسەر ئاشی هەوا
01:18
And I tried, and I made it.
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.هەوڵمدا و دروستم کرد
01:20
(Applause)
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(چەپڵە)
01:30
CA: So you copied -- you exactly copied the design in the book.
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کریس: هەمان شتی ناو کتێبەکەت کۆپی کرد؟
--ویلیەم: نەخێر، تەنها
01:34
WK: Ah, no. I just --
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01:36
CA: What happened?
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کریس: چی ڕویدا؟
01:38
WK: In fact, a design of the windmill that was in the book,
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ویلیەم: لە ڕاستیدا ئاشە هەواکەم
.وەک کتێبەکە دیزاین کرد
01:42
it has got four -- ah -- three blades,
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.چوار -نا- سێ ئاسنی تیژی هەبوو
.ئەوەی من چوار ئاسنی تیژی هەبوو
01:46
and mine has got four blades.
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کریس: ئەوەی کتێبەکە سێی هەبوو
.ئەوەی تۆچوار
01:49
CA: The book had three, yours had four.
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.ویلیەم: بەڵێ
01:51
WK: Yeah.
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کریس: بەچی دروستت کردن؟
01:52
CA: And you made it out of what?
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ویلیەم: چوار ئاسنی تیژم دروست کرد
.تەنها لەبەر ئەوەی دەمویست وزەکە زیاد بکەم
01:54
WK: I made four blades, just because I want to increase power.
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01:59
CA: OK.
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.کریس: باشه‌
02:00
WK: Yeah.
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ویلیەم: بەڵێ
کریس: سێ دانەت تاقیکردەوە و
بۆتدەرکەوت چوار باشترە؟
02:01
CA: You tested three, and found that four worked better?
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02:03
WK: Yeah. I test.
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ویلیەم: بەڵێ، تاقیمکردەوە
02:05
CA: And what did you make the windmill out of?
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کریس: ئاشەهەواکەت بە چ
کەرەستەیەک دروست کرد؟
02:08
What materials did you use?
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چ مادەیەکت بەکارهێنا؟
02:10
WK: I use a bicycle frame, and a pulley, and plastic pipe, what then pulls --
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ویلیەم: لاشەی پایسکیلێک، پولییەک
--بۆریەکی پلاستیکی، دواتر
02:16
CA: Do we have a picture of that? Can we have the next slide?
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کریس: وێنەیەکی ئەوەمان هەیە،
لە سلایدی داهاتوودا؟
02:19
WK: Yeah. The windmill.
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بەڵێ: ئاشە هەوا
02:21
CA: And so, and that windmill, what -- it worked?
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کریس: ئەوی دواتر؟ کاری کرد؟
02:25
WK: When the wind blows, it rotates and generates.
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ویلیەم: کاتێک با هەڵدەکات
.بزوێنەرەکان هەڵدەسوڕێنێت
02:30
CA: How much electricity?
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کریس: چەند کارەبا ده‌دات؟
02:31
WK: 12 watts.
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ویلیەم: ١٢ وات
02:33
CA: And so, that lit a light for the house? How many lights?
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کریس: چەند ڕوناکی دەدات بە ماڵەکە
چەند گڵۆپ؟
02:38
WK: Four bulbs and two radios.
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ویلیەم: چوار گڵۆپ و دوو ڕادیۆ
02:40
CA: Wow.
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02:41
WK: Yeah.
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کریس: واو
02:42
(Applause) CA: Next slide --
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ویلیەم: بەڵێ
(چەپڵەلێدان)
.کریس: سلایدی داهاتوو
02:52
so who's that?
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ئەوە کێیە؟
.ویلیەم: ئەمە دایکمە، ڕادیۆکەی پێیە
02:54
WK: This is my parents, holding the radio.
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02:57
CA: So what did they make of -- that you were 14, 15 at the time --
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کریس: تۆ تەنها ١٤، ١٥ ساڵ بوویت لەوکاتەدا
03:01
what did they make of this? They were impressed?
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کاردانەوەیان چۆن بوو؟ سەرسام بوون؟
03:04
WK: Yeah.
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ویلیەم: بەڵێ.
03:05
CA: And so what's your -- what are you going to do with this?
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کریس: بەتەمایت چی لەمە بکەیت؟
پلانت چییە؟
03:07
WK: Um --
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---ویلیەم: ئم
03:09
CA: What do you -- I mean -- do you want to build another one?
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کریس: مەبەستم ئەوەیە -- دەتەوێت
دانەیەکی دیکە دروست بکەیت؟
03:13
WK: Yeah, I want to build another one --
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ویلیەم: بەڵێ، دەمەوێت دانەیەکی دیکە
--دروست بکەم
تا ئاو دەربکات و بینێرێت بۆ
.بەرهەمە کشتوکاڵییەکان
03:16
to pump water and irrigation for crops.
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03:21
CA: So this one would have to be bigger?
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کریس:کەواتە ئەمەیان دەبێت گەورەتربێت؟
03:23
WK: Yeah.
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ویلیەم: بەڵێ
کریس: گەورەی چۆن؟
03:24
CA: How big?
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03:25
WK: I think it will produce more than 20 the watts.
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ویلیەم: پێموایە ده‌توانێت زیاتر
.لە ٢٠ وات بەرهەم بهێنێت
03:31
CA: So that would produce irrigation for the entire village?
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کریس: ئەوە دەتوانێت ئاوی
تەواوی گوندەکە دابین بکات؟
03:35
WK: Yeah.
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.ویلیەم: بەڵێ
03:37
CA: Wow. And so you're talking to people here at TED
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کریس: واو، ئێستا
تۆ قسە بۆ خەڵک دەکەیت لە تێدەوە
03:40
to get people who might be able to help in some way
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تا ئەو کەسانەی دەیانەوێت
هاوکاریت بکەن
03:44
to realize this dream?
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بۆ گەیشتن بەم خەونەت؟
03:46
WK: Yeah, if they can help me with materials, yeah.
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ویلیەم: بەڵێ، گەر بتوانن یارمەتیم بدەن بە
کەرەستە و پێویستی
03:50
CA: And as you think of your life going forward,
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.کریس: وەک دەزانیت ژیانت بەرەوپێشوە دەچێت
03:53
you're 19 now,
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.تۆ ئێستا ١٩ ساڵیت
پێتوایە بەردەوام دەبیت لەم خەونەت
لە کارکردن لە بواری وزەدا؟
03:56
do you picture continuing with this dream of working in energy?
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04:00
WK: Yeah. I'm still thinking to work on energy.
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ویلەم: بەڵێ، من هێشتا بیر لە کارکردن
.دەکەمەوە لە بواری وزەدا
04:05
CA: Wow. William, it's a real honor to have you at the TED conference.
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کریس: ویلەم، شەرەفێکی گەوریە
.لە کۆنفرانسی تێد لەگەڵمان بوویت
04:09
Thank you so much for coming.
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زۆر سوپاس بۆ ئامادەبوونت
ویلیەم: سوپاس
04:11
WK: Thank you.
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(چەپڵەلێدان)
04:13
(Applause)
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Translated by Hallo Fariq
Reviewed by Taban Khdir

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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