Out of Africa

No matter how arid and destitute some places in the world may be, where there are people, they are rich in human resources.

The value of an idea can be incalculable. One single inspired individual can enrich their world. We have countless examples of famous names. William Kamkwamba’s name is getting to be more famous as his story spreads. I love this story…

“In 2002, following one of Malawi’s worst droughts, which killed thousands of people and left his family on the brink of starvation, he built a windmill to pump water into his father’s farm. “I was very interested when I saw the windmill could make electricity and pump water and I thought to myself: that could be a defence against hunger. Maybe I should build one for myself,” William told the BBC.

He described how he stumbled on a drawing of a windmill in a tattered book, and began to dream. He dreamt of bringing water to his father’s farm — it was a matter of surviving or dying from hunger. So, against formidable odds and penniless, he began to work. With nothing more than a fistful of cornmeal in his stomach, he worked on his project mostly in the night, with no other light except a smoking paraffin lamp, enduring bites from the mosquito’s and insects attracted by the light.

The taunts of sceptical family and friends made things even worse. “Many, including my mother, thought I was going crazy,” he recalled. “They had never seen a windmill before”.
For spare parts, Kamkwamba rummaged through dustbins and refuse dumps. He used bicycle spokes, a tractor fan blade, an old shock absorber and fashioned blades from plastic pipes, which he flattened by holding them over a fire. Neighbours, shocked to see him sifting through rubbish, concluded that he was on drugs…

But, glory was soon to follow. The neighbour’s jeers soon turned to amazement when Kamkwamba scampered up the tower and hooked a light bulb to the turbine, and, as the blade began to spin in the wind, the light bulb flickered alive and the crowd of astonished onlookers went wild.”

It’s a beautiful thing, the creative realization of an inspired mind of one noble, dignified human being.

This reminds me of the conversation I had with Opportunity International’s Chris Crane…

As he described much of the same story as above, I said it’s like the saying ‘give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day; teach him to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.’ And without missing a beat, Crane said “help him build a boat and he’ll feed his entire village.”

In “A Malawian miracle”, note this thought in the comments section: “Yes, population is not the problem, it’s the solution.”