A Review By: Amelia
Humans have been conditioned to root for the underdog since
birth. We hiss at the big evil holding the little person down and cheer wildly
when that little person succeeds. It’s because we see that underdog in
ourselves that we do it: that little person is us and every step towards
improving life that that underdog takes is a step we too could be making! It’s
all very inspiring and that’s why I was drawn to The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the true story of a boy in Africa
that refused to do nothing even though the world was giving him nothing.
When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba’s Malawi village
was hit by a drought, everyone’s crops began to fail. Without enough money for
food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library and, because of
his perseverance, figured out how to bring electricity to his village. Adamant
to succeed against the odds, William built a functioning windmill out of
junkyard scraps, and became a hero to his village.
William Kamkwamba grew up without any real luxury besides an
education. But when he stopped being able to attend his school what little
luxury he had seemed to be gone forever. That is until he took every available
moment to studying on his own at a local library. He used his love of machinery
to build a windmill capable of bringing power to his village. Since then, he
has built a solar-powered water pump for fresh water, has attended university
in the United States, been interviewed on The
Daily Show, had a children’s picture book written about his journey to
better and world, and been named on the list of ’30 People Under 30 Changing
the World’.
Malawi is a country where magic is viewed as the norm and
modern science is, at best, a mystery, and at worst, something to be shunned
and ignored. It’s a country where life hangs on whether the rains come and
where drought and hunger can last half a life time. William Kamkwamba believed
he could change this. His neighbours claimed he was crazy but William refused
to believe it and with a pile of long forgotten science textbooks, some scrap
metal, human curiosity, and determination he crafted a miracle that would
forever change lives. The Boy Who
Harnessed the Wind is an extraordinary true story about one boy’s desire
for knowledge and how his human inventiveness and just a basic education helped
change his community and better the lives of those around him.
My final thoughts on The
Boy Who Harnessed the Wind are that it is a truly inspiring tale and not
just for those living under crippling adversity. William Kamkwamba is just one
man and yet with a little human ingenuity he changed the lives of so many. This
book is a testament to the human spirit and our need for community. It will
inspire anyone who doubts the power of a single person’s ability to change the
world for the better. One person is all it takes.
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