William Kamkwamba is a 22-year old young man from the Southern African nation of Malawi. He built an electricity-generating windmill from scratch at the age of 14.  William used components such as bicycle parts found in a local scrapyard. He was out of school at the time because his parents couldn’t afford to pay his school fees. The rural village of Mastala, Kamkwamba’s hometown, was facing famine.  What makes his story even more remarkable is the fact that William Kamkwamba learned how to build the windmill by reading a textbook from the village library.  He relied heavily on the diagrams for guidance as he did not master the English language at the time. He has since built a second windmill in Mastala.

William Kamkwamba’s story is another illustration that one’s circumstances should never be seen as a limiting factor in life. Here was a 14-year old teenager forced to drop out of school due to his parents’ financial situation.  Hope for an promise-filled future could have seemed slim but William chose to let his thirst for learning and life prevail.

Soon after William finished building his first windmill, news of his accomplishment spread to Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital. A few years later, William’s story drew international attention. He has since been able to resume his high school education by obtaining a scholarship to attend the prestigious boarding school located in South Africa. He is currently in his senior year. Kamkwamba’s drive is a source of inspiration for people of all backgrounds. One can achieve anything one wants to do in life. Genius and greatness live in all of us.