Chasing the Wind

Fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba stood at the top of a tall wooden tower, waiting for a miracle.

It was 2001 in Malawi, a country in Africa. On the ground below William, people from his small village were gathered. The crowd buzzed with confusion and excitement. 

What is this kid doing? 

And what is THAT?

Atop the 16-foot tower was a strange machine: an upside-down bicycle attached to a fan. Four long plastic blades stuck out from the fan in the shape of an X. 

This strange-looking object was a windmill, a machine that turns energy from the wind into electricity. Like most people in their village, William’s family did not have electricity in their home. William hoped that this windmill would change that. He had been working on it for months—and now, finally, it was ready.

“Let’s see how crazy this boy really is!” someone called out.

William gripped a small light bulb that was connected to the windmill with wires. Then he felt it: the beginning of a breeze. 

His machine rumbled and groaned. It sounded like a beast in a cage, struggling to break free. Here it goes, he thought.

Suddenly, the breeze swelled into a powerful blast of wind. William clung tightly to the wooden tower as it rocked dangerously back and forth. The windmill’s long plastic blades began spinning furiously.

William stared at the bulb in his hand, praying it would flicker to life. Would his dream of lighting up his home come true? 

Fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba stood at the top of a tall tower, waiting for a miracle.

It was 2001 in Malawi, a country in Africa. On the ground below William, people from his village were gathered. The crowd was confused and excited. 

What is this kid doing? 

And what is THAT?

Atop the 16-foot tower was a strange machine. It was an upside-down bicycle attached to a fan. Four long plastic blades stuck out from the fan. 

This strange machine was a windmill. A windmill turns energy from the wind into electricity. Like most people in his village, William’s family didn’t have electricity in their home. William hoped that this windmill would change that. He had been working on it for months. Now it was finally ready.

William held a small light bulb. It was connected to the windmill with wires. Then he felt a breeze. 

His machine rumbled and groaned. It sounded like a beast in a cage trying to break free. 

Suddenly, the breeze grew into a wind. William held on to the wooden tower as it rocked back and forth. The windmill’s long plastic blades began spinning.

William hoped the bulb in his hand would light up. Would his dream of lighting up his home come true? 

Electricity is one of the most powerful natural forces on Earth, and it’s all around us. It’s what you see flashing in the sky during some storms. It’s the spark you feel when you shuffle across a carpet and then touch a metal doorknob. It’s even inside you, making your heart beat. 

Electricity is also what we use to power our everyday lives. Think about how many times you’ve used electricity so far today. Maybe you flipped a switch in your room and the lights blinked on. Maybe you warmed a bowl of oatmeal in the microwave before school. Or perhaps you are using a laptop right now—it runs on electricity too! 

But where does electricity come from, and how does it get to us? 

In the United States, electricity is produced at more than 12,000 large sites called power plants. Most of these plants burn fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas to make electricity. There are other sources of energy too—including windmills (like William’s) and solar panels, which create electricity from sunlight. 

After electricity is produced, it travels to our homes, schools, and businesses through a system of wires known as power lines. From there, it powers our refrigerators, phones, air conditioners—basically, most of the things that make our lives easier.

Electricity is powerful, and it’s all around us. It’s what you see flashing in the sky during some storms. It’s the spark you feel when you walk across a carpet and then touch a metal doorknob. It’s even inside you, making your heart beat. 

We use electricity in our everyday lives. Think about how many times you’ve used electricity today. Maybe you flipped a switch in your room and the lights turned on. Maybe you warmed a bowl of oatmeal in the microwave. Or maybe you are using a laptop right now. 

But where does electricity come from? And how does it get to us? 

In the United States, electricity is made by power plants. These places burn coal, oil, and natural gas to make electricity. There are also other ways to make electricity. There are windmills (like William’s). There are solar panels, which create electricity from sunlight. 

After electricity is made, it gets to our homes, schools, and businesses through wires called power lines. From there, it powers our refrigerators, phones, and air conditioners. Electricity powers most of the things that make our lives easier.

Yet nearly 750 million people around the world have little or no access to electricity. Most are in rural areas of Africa and South Asia. Many people there do not live close enough to a power plant to have electricity delivered to them. Even for those who do, the electricity can be unreliable, and getting connected can be difficult and expensive.

For William and his family, living without electricity was a daily challenge. They had to use fire for tasks like cooking meals and heating bathwater. Every morning, William’s sisters would trek more than three hours to gather firewood. Every evening, the family’s home would be plunged into darkness. When William wanted to stay up reading or studying, he had to light a small lantern filled with kerosene—a smelly fuel that can produce choking black smoke. It was usually easier to just go to bed when the sun went down, as most people in his village did.

In areas like William’s, not having electricity affects almost every part of life. Without washing machines, vacuums, and electric stoves, kids—especially girls—often spend so long doing chores that they have little time for school. Farmers and shop owners struggle to run their businesses without computers. And without access to the internet, people have a tough time communicating with the world beyond their villages. 

Yet millions of people around the world have little or no electricity. Most are in rural areas of the world. Many people there live too far away from a power plant to have electricity. Even for those who do, the electricity can be unreliable. Getting electricity can be difficult and expensive.

For William and his family, living without electricity was challenging. They had to use fire for cooking meals and heating bathwater. Every morning, William’s sisters would trek more than three hours to get firewood. Every evening, the family’s home would go dark. When William wanted to stay up reading or studying, he had to light a lantern filled with a smelly fuel that can release thick smoke. It was easier to go to bed when the sun went down. That’s what most people in his village did.

Where William lives, not having electricity affects almost every part of life. Without washing machines, vacuums, and electric stoves, kids—especially girls—often spend a long time doing chores. That means they have little time for school. It’s hard for farmers and shop owners to run their businesses without computers. And without access to the internet, people have a tough time connecting with the world outside their villages. 

Growing up without TV or video games, William spent his free time taking apart devices like radios to see how they worked. He dreamed of becoming a scientist. 

“I was filled with the desire to understand, and the questions never stopped coming,” he later wrote in a book about his life. 

In the year 2000, William, then 13, was just about to start middle school. He couldn’t wait to take science classes with real lab equipment for doing experiments. 

While he waited for the school year to begin, William helped his dad get ready for harvest season. Like most people in their country, William’s dad was a farmer who mainly grew a type of corn called maize. In Malawi, maize is often eaten as a porridge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Soon, though, Malawi was hit by a devastating drought—a long period without rain. Most of the maize plants withered in the ground. Without their main source of food, Malawians began facing terrible hunger. For months, William and his sisters often fell asleep to the sound of their stomachs growling.

Eventually the drought ended, and the next year’s crops grew well. But after a difficult year, William’s parents had little money to spare. They could no longer afford the cost of sending William to school.

His dream of becoming a scientist would have to wait.

Growing up without TV or video games, William spent his free time taking apart machines like radios. He wanted to see how they worked. He dreamed of becoming a scientist. 

“I was filled with the desire to understand, and the questions never stopped coming,” he later wrote in a book about his life. 

In the year 2000, William was 13. He was just about to start middle school. He couldn’t wait to take science classes. 

While he waited for the school year to begin, William helped his dad get ready for harvest season. Like most people in their country, William’s dad was a farmer. 

Soon, though, Malawi was hit by a long period without rain. Plants died in the ground. People in Malawi began facing terrible hunger. For months, William and his sisters fell asleep hungry.

Eventually, rain came, and the next year’s plants grew well. But after a difficult year, William’s parents had little extra money. They could not pay for William to go to school. 

His dream of becoming a scientist would have to wait. 

As the school year started without him, William was determined to keep learning on his own. He often visited a new public library near his village.

One day, a book called Using Energy caught his eye. On the cover was a row of tall white towers, with blades that spun like a fan. Opening the book, William learned that these structures are called windmills. Their spinning blades capture energy from wind and feed it into a generator, a machine that produces electricity.

Wind is what’s known as a “clean” source of energy. When fuels like coal or oil are burned to create electricity, they release harmful gases. This contributes to climate change. But producing electricity from wind does not release such gases. Plus, wind will always blow, so it can’t be used up. 

As William read the textbook, a light bulb went off in his head—almost as if it were sparked by electricity. With a windmill, William realized, he could replace his family’s smoky lanterns with bright electric lights. Even better, he could use a windmill to power a pump that could pull water from the ground for his family’s maize fields. Without having to depend only on the rainy season to grow their crops, the family would be able to harvest them twice a year. They would never go hungry again.

William knew exactly what he had to do. He was going to build a windmill.

As the school year started without him, William kept learning on his own. He often visited a new library near his village.

One day, he saw a book called Using Energy. On the cover was a row of tall white towers, with blades that spun like a fan. Opening the book, William learned that these towers are called windmills. Their spinning blades take energy from wind and feed it into a generator, a machine that makes electricity.

Wind is a “clean” source of energy. When fuels like coal or oil are burned to create electricity, they release harmful gases. 

This adds to climate change. But making electricity from wind does not release such gases. 

Plus, wind will always blow, so it can’t be used up. 

As William read the textbook, he had an idea. With a windmill, William could replace his family’s smoky lanterns with electric lights. Even better, he could use a windmill to power a pump that could pull water from the ground for his family’s fields. They wouldn’t have to wait on the rainy season to grow their crops. They could harvest them twice a year. They would never go hungry again.

William decided to build a windmill.

William couldn’t afford to buy any materials. So he hunted through a scrapyard filled with broken-down junk: rusted pipes, dusty hoses, twisted car parts. Bit by bit, he gathered the parts he needed. Meanwhile, he studied textbooks at the library, figuring out how to fit everything together. 

The final piece of the puzzle was something called a bicycle dynamo. A dynamo is a small generator that can be attached to a bike wheel. It turns energy from the spinning wheel into electricity that lights up the bike’s headlight. 

William hooked up a dynamo to his dad’s old bicycle. Then he bolted the bicycle to the top of a wooden tower and connected it to the windmill’s long plastic blades. When the wind spun the blades, the bicycle’s wheel would start turning. This would cause the dynamo to produce electricity that could power a light bulb. 

Or at least, that was the idea. 

Would it work? 

William couldn’t afford to buy any materials. So he looked through a scrapyard with junk like rusted pipes, dusty hoses, and twisted car parts. Slowly, he got the parts he needed. He studied textbooks at the library. He figured out how to fit the parts together. 

The final piece of the puzzle was something called a bicycle dynamo. A dynamo is a small generator. It can be attached to a bike wheel. It turns energy from the spinning wheel into electricity that lights up the bike’s headlight. 

William attached a dynamo to his dad’s old bicycle. Then he bolted the bicycle to the top of a wooden tower. He connected it to the windmill’s long plastic blades. When the wind spun the blades, the bicycle’s wheel would turn. This would cause the dynamo to make electricity that could power a light bulb. 

Would it work? 

As he clung to the top of his windmill on that windy day in 2001, gripping the light bulb, William feared his months of hard work had been for nothing. 

But then—a flicker.

The crowd below watched in amazement as the flicker exploded into light. 

“Look!” someone shouted. “He’s made light.”

William laughed. “I did it!” he said triumphantly. “And I’m going bigger now. Just wait and see.”

Over the following months, William’s windmill allowed his family to fill their home with electric lights. News quickly spread of the young inventor and his incredible electricity-making machine. To his great joy, William was offered the opportunity to go back to school. 

And just as he’d dreamed, he was able to build a bigger windmill—plus a solar-powered pump—to deliver water to his family’s farm. 

At the top of his windmill on that windy day in 2001, holding the light bulb, William worried he had wasted months of hard work. 

But then—a flicker.

The crowd below watched in awe as the flicker became light. 

“Look!” someone shouted. “He’s made light!”

William laughed. “I did it,” he said proudly. “And I’m going bigger now. Just wait and see!”

Over the next months, William’s windmill let his family fill their home with electric lights. News spread of his amazing machine. 

To William’s joy, he was able to go back to school. 

And just as he’d dreamed, he was able to build a bigger windmill—and a solar-powered pump—to deliver water to his family’s farm. 

Today all the homes in William’s village glow with electric lights, thanks to solar panels that he helped install. He has also helped bring electricity to the area’s schools, so curious students can study long past sundown.

Now in his 30s, William runs an organization in Malawi called Moving Windmills. The group has brought clean energy and wells to communities across the country. One of its main goals is to inspire young people to help solve problems in their communities, just like William did.

William’s advice to these young changemakers is simple. “Do not let fear keep you from taking the first step,” he says. “You never know what help you will find along the way or what lessons you can learn.” 

Today all the homes in William’s village have electric lights, thanks to solar panels that he helped install. He has also helped bring electricity to the area’s schools, so students can study past sundown.

Now in his 30s, William runs an organization called Moving Windmills. The group has brought clean energy and wells to people across Malawi. One of its big goals is to inspire young people to help solve problems where they live.

William’s advice to these young people is simple. “Do not let fear keep you from taking the first step,” he says. “You never know what help you will find along the way or what lessons you can learn.”