William Kamkwamba Using Energy Essay

Rough or unfortunate situations tend to reveal character in people, leading themselves, their family, their friends, and their community in the direction of a more positive future. Without resources or motivation, many people fall victim to inactivity and hopelessness. Innovators and leaders pave the way for others to generate progress in society in difficult times, such as the drought- and hunger-stricken Malawi. One such Malawian innovator is William Kamkwamba, who, with only supplies available in his small rural village and a book in his local library called Using Energy, Kamkwamba was able to build a windmill which powered 4 lights and 2 radios in his home. He experimented with different ways he could use power to better his community, including cell phone charging setups, even concluding with a plan to provide irrigation for his village’s farms, although this wish never came to fruition as William focused on other plans. For these reasons, it is evident that William’s innovation was fueled by his characteristics of perseverance, a drive to improve his community, …show more content…
For example, William was so determined to stay in school that he sneaks into classrooms when the term begins so that he can learn even though he can’t afford it, risking public expulsion and humiliation. In the book, Kamkwamba records: “But instead of going home to ask my father for the money, for the next two weeks I tried to go to school for free… Several students got nabbed without receipt and were publicly expelled, making me incredibly nervous about this game I was playing.” (Kamkwamba, 180-181). This excerpt from William’s autobiography states that William went so far as to try to stay in school even though not having enough money for the yearly fees, risking expulsion and humiliation. Therefore, William’s neverending desire to learn sums up his personality and helped lead to his