Ideas change everything

How I harnessed the wind

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William Kamkwamba |

TEDGlobal 2009

• July 2009

At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. Now at 22, William Kamkwamba, who speaks at TED, here, for the second time, shares in his own words the moving tale of invention that changed his life.

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Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. Now at 22, William Kamkwamba, who speaks at TED, here, for the second time, shares in his own words the moving tale of invention that changed his life.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

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About the speaker

William Kamkwamba

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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."

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.