William Kamkwamba:

How I harnessed the wind

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

Inventor

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." Full bio