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Aug 20, 2007

"You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however." --Richard Bach

The Boy Who Built Windmills

William Kamkwamba left school at 14 as his family was unable to pay the school fees, but that didn't stop him from doing something remarkable. Armed only with his intelligence, a book on electricity, some plastic piping and found objects, Kamkwamba built his first windmill, which generated enough power to run a light in his room. His second windmill used a bicycle to increase efficiency; it was able to generate power for his parents' house and to charge car batteries or mobile phones for the people in his village. His next goal? Provide enough energy to irrigate his entire village, and eventually go to college.