Science, Medicine & Engineering
Landmark
William Kamkwamba
born 1987
Built a windmill from scrap at fourteen
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Malawi Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
At fourteen, during a famine and out of school, he built a working wind turbine from bicycle parts and scrapyard metal, and gave his family electricity.
William Kamkwamba is a Malawian inventor, engineer and author who gained international attention in 2001 when he built a wind turbine to power appliances in his family's house.
He made it from blue gum trees, bicycle parts and material collected in a local scrapyard, having taught himself from library books after his family could no longer afford school fees.
He made it from blue gum trees, bicycle parts and material collected in a local scrapyard, having taught himself from library books after his family could no longer afford school fees.
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