The Exceptional Story of the Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

In the early 21st century, Malawi was gripped by one of the worst famines the nation had ever seen. Around the country, crops fell and subsistence farmers were forced to migrate, wandering in search of work and food. As resources dwindled, more and more families were forced to make the desperate decision to pull their children from school to help at home. One of those students who could no longer afford school was William Kamkwamba. Yet as is so often the case, from the tragedy of the famine came an incredible story of a young person whose persistent creativity and indefatigable spirit led to incredible things. This is the exceptional story of the Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

The Africa of William Kamkwamba's youth was a place still caught between tradition and modernity. As he put it in the first lines of his wonderful new book "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," "Before I discovered the miracle of science, magic ruled the world."

The first part of the story is about his world before that discovery. It's a world in which the characters are the friends he got into trouble with, the towering adults who commanded his understanding of the world, the landscapes that form his playground, back yard, and first school. The early part of the story is notable not just for its evocative depiction of African village life, but because it feels so resonant with the experience of growing up anywhere - particularly for young boys for whom every day is a new exploration and a new adventure.

Where William's story departs is as famine strikes in 2001 and 2002. The rains come late, threatening the crops that form the backbone of Malawi's economy and the primary mode of subsistence for most of her citizens. The government is slow to respond, and people are forced to take dramatic measures to scrimp and survive. Commerce grinds to a halt.

For William, the consequence was that food dwindled and his family could no longer afford to pay his school fees, and he was forced to drop out as his classmates go on. By some luck, he found his way to a local USAID funded library, where he discovered a book about electronics. He had already done some rudimentary experimenting, and the book was filled with diagrams became William's constant companion as he spent his days experimenting with circuitry.

As he became more and more adept, William began to focus on building a windmill - a contraption he had seen on the cover of another book. Not able to buy even basic supplies, he trolled around junkyards to find the spare parts he needed to put something together. Enduring teasing and accusations of lunacy, William persisted, finally building a windmill that could power lights - and eventually an irrigation system - in his house.

Before long, his story became known around his region, eventually attracting the attention of blogger Emeka Okafor, who was planning the first ever TED conference to be held in Africa. William spoke at that event, and since then has launched a foundation, begun attending school at the African Leadership Academy in South Africa, and now, writing this book, is working to be an exemplar of the notion that if you try, you can succeed.

I had the privilege to read an advanced copy of the book, and wrote: "Much more than a memoir, this is a snapshot of life as a precocious teenager in contemporary Africa, and an affirmation of the notion that talent, beauty, and brilliance are distributed in equal measure around the world, even if opportunity is not. This is a story that hums with the excitement of an individual who, like the continent where he was raised, is poised for greatness."

The book abounds with themes that resonate deeply: the idea that with hard work and persistence comes triumph; that optimism is not a mental state but a type of action, that from grief and loss can come success; that ultimately, no one has responsibility for your education and success except you. Indeed, these are themes likely to resonate deeply with an American public that loves to see something resembling the "American Dream" in action.

Yet there is something nagging about this story as well. I called this post the "exceptional story" because of the dual meaning of that word. William is an exceptional young man who could teach us all something about taking our destiny into our hands. But he is also exceptional because the happy ending of his story is still so at odds with the reality for so much of the developing world. For every William who succeeds there is a William who is set up to fail by the accident of fate of where they were born, and what that means about the resources they can draw on to succeed and what will stand in their way.

The tremendous injustice that we must grapple with as we read a story like William's is that in this world we do not all start with a blank slate and an equal chance to succeed. We all have a chance to do our best with our lot, but we must not allow ourselves to forget the debt that we owe to luck.

The reason to read William's book is to celebrate the idea that even at great odds, the good can triumph. But it also must be to recognize our opportunities to better pave the way for future William's and make sure that they have the same chance to use their unique talents, whatever they may be, to harness their very own wind.

Click around the featured posts to learn more about this incredible story. To buy the book, visit our friends at Better World Books.