From our front-page news:
One of my favorite sayings is, "Where there's a will, there's a way.", because it's true. If you are truly stumped, and can't see a way out of a problem, there's likely always a solution. If you have the will to get it done, then it will get done, in some form or another. If you have doubts, you need to learn about Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi, and he'll tell you different.
Kamkwamba was actually kicked out of school due to the fact that his family couldn't pay the $80 fees required, but despite that, he kept on learning and did what he could to get by. His country was facing an incredible famine, and to do his part, he wanted to figure out a cost-effective (as in, cost nothing) approach to generating power for his village. He learned about windmills from a library, and with that, he tried to build his own.
So he did... out of scraps he found in the area. People thought he was nuts, or a "witch", but he continued on to build a windmill that actually did end up powering up a lightbulb. Today, there are five such windmills in his village, and this is all without having ever seen a real one. He did see a real one not long ago, and I can only imagine the expression his face when he saw how "proper" it was..
Today, Kamkwamba is attending an "elite" African school, with the help of donations, and he looks to have a "bright" future (pun intended). In all seriousness though, stories like these prove that if you have a will, there will be a way. I couldn't possibly imagine building a windmill from parts found around various junkyards, but as is proved, dedication can lead to some great things!
His story has turned him into a globetrotter. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, an avid advocate of green living, has applauded his work. Kamkwamba is invited to events worldwide to share his experience with entrepreneurs. During a recent trip to Palm Springs, California, he saw a real windmill for the first time -- lofty and majestic -- a far cry from the wobbly, wooden structures that spin in his backyard.
Source: CNN Eco Solutions
Kamkwamba was actually kicked out of school due to the fact that his family couldn't pay the $80 fees required, but despite that, he kept on learning and did what he could to get by. His country was facing an incredible famine, and to do his part, he wanted to figure out a cost-effective (as in, cost nothing) approach to generating power for his village. He learned about windmills from a library, and with that, he tried to build his own.
So he did... out of scraps he found in the area. People thought he was nuts, or a "witch", but he continued on to build a windmill that actually did end up powering up a lightbulb. Today, there are five such windmills in his village, and this is all without having ever seen a real one. He did see a real one not long ago, and I can only imagine the expression his face when he saw how "proper" it was..
Today, Kamkwamba is attending an "elite" African school, with the help of donations, and he looks to have a "bright" future (pun intended). In all seriousness though, stories like these prove that if you have a will, there will be a way. I couldn't possibly imagine building a windmill from parts found around various junkyards, but as is proved, dedication can lead to some great things!
His story has turned him into a globetrotter. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, an avid advocate of green living, has applauded his work. Kamkwamba is invited to events worldwide to share his experience with entrepreneurs. During a recent trip to Palm Springs, California, he saw a real windmill for the first time -- lofty and majestic -- a far cry from the wobbly, wooden structures that spin in his backyard.
Source: CNN Eco Solutions