Name: How I harnessed the wind
Uploaded: 2009-09-23T08:21:00Z
Duration: 5 min 42 s
Description: 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.

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.

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind

How I harnessed the wind

Facing famine, a young Malawian innovator builds a windmill from scraps, transforming struggle into a beacon of hope and innovation.

Self-taught from library books, this inventor's windmill illuminates his home, charges phones, and promises a defense against hunger.

From a local hero to the global stage at TED, one man's story inspires a universal message: trust yourself and never give up on dreams.