In Africa, in 2001, hundreds of thousands of Malawians experienced a drought that would make or break their families. Many of them passed away due to an incredible shortage of crops, while others managed to scrounge up the last of their food to distribute to the family, saving little bits over the many months until it was over. William Kamkwamba was an incredible young boy who decided to keep learning amid this famine. He was curious and learned all about electricity—something they lack in Malawi, and built a windmill with parts from a junkyard and powered his entire house, supplied water to his field, and ultimately changed Malawi forever. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer captures the struggles during the …show more content…
The book states, “From the moment I heard a sound coming out of a radio as a boy, I wanted to know how it got there. When Geoffrey and I started cracking them open to investigate, it was like spying on a secret world.” (Kamkwamba and Mealer, 2016). William often heard radios from the people of his town, and that’s how his future began to set in. Most kids just enjoy the sound that comes from radios, but William truly wanted to understand how the sound was made. Kamkwamba and Mealer also said, “The answer was electricity. The dynamo had given me a small taste of this magical thing, and I soon became determined to try and make some on my own.” (2016). William was a very curious boy; he wanted to know more about electricity, so he fixed radios and asked questions. When he found out about dynamos, he immediately got to work to find out how to use them in his daily life, which ultimately helped him build the windmill and produce water and lights for his home. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind explains, “Then it came: a flicker, a flash, then a burst of bright magnificent light. My heart nearly exploded. The ‘Look!’ someone shouted. ‘He’s made light!’” (Kamkwamba and Mealer, …show more content…
Kamkwamba also shared, “As for Kachokolo—people ask me if I’m bitter toward them for kicking me out, but I’m not. In fact, not long ago, I went back and solar-powered the entire compound. We also installed computers.they call it ‘Internet in a box.’” (Kamkwamba and Mealer, 2016). Although Kachokolo is one of the things that discouraged him the most, he showed them compassion by giving them electricity and power. This shows that he is incredibly selfless, generous, and forgiving. This book was one about heartbreak and hunger; it taught us what it’s like to lose everything we have in the blink of an eye, and allows us to feel those emotions that we may never experience in our lifetime. It also allows us to understand what it’s like to be creative and persevere, and even at fourteen years old, William Kamkwamba knew how to do just that. In this incredible book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, the three things that they explore are innovation, tradition, and the power of change. With all of these things considered, something we can learn is that staying true to ourselves is the most important thing to hold on
Reverend Jeremiah Brown - Hillsboro's minister. He is a hard- hearted man who feels no qualms about convincing the town to condemn Bert Cates and his daughter as incorrigible sinners.
Kite Runner depicts the story of Amir, a boy living in Afghanistan, and his journey throughout life. He experiences periods of happiness, sorrow, and confusion as he matures. Amir is shocked by atrocities and blessed by beneficial relationships both in his homeland and the United States. Reviewers have chosen sides and waged a war of words against one another over the notoriety of the book. Many critics of Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, argue that the novel would not have reached a lofty level of success if the U.S. had not had recent dealings with the Middle East, yet other critics accurately relate the novel’s success to its internal aspects.
In the novel a Grain of Wheat written by Nugugi we explore in-depth the hardships and courage of African men and women who were forced to fight for their independence in the War of Independence. This book reveals to us the life of a man named Gikonyo. As a reader we learn that Gikonyo was through into a detention camp a poor and confused man. When released, Gikonyo is a new man with motivational and leadership abilities. Finding his true self in the camp and proving to be a true leader among his people. Although he is a new man after the camps, Gikonyo finds himself falling further apart from his beloved wife then he had ever been before.
In this essay about the book ‘The boy who harnessed the wind’ written by Bryan Mealer & William Kamkwamba I will firstly describe William Kamkwamba and his early life in Malawi. Next discuss the challenges he faced and how he was able to build a windmill.
Indian Horse is a captivating novel by Canadian author Richard Wagamese. The story follows the life of Saul Indian Horse, a young Ojibwe boy who survives the trauma of residential schools in Canada during the 1950's. Throughout the novel, Wagamese skillfully explores themes of resilience, identity, and the enduring power of cultural identity. Saul's journey is marked by profound loss and moments of triumph as he navigates the complexities of his Indigenous heritage in a predominantly white society. In the opening chapters, Saul's early years are overshadowed by the horrors of the residential school system, where he experiences abuse and cultural erasure.
"Hazaras." Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. Ed. Timothy L. Gall and Jeneen Hobby. 2nd ed. Vol. 3: Asia & Oceania. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 311-314. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Using books he found in the library, William learned about wind energy and how to make a simple wind turbine. He collected used items such as pipe pieces, wind pipes, and other components and finally succeeded in building a wind turbine that could generate electricity for his village. When his wind turbine successfully generated electricity for the first time, William and his village received widespread recognition. William then started assembling the various pieces of equipment he needed to make the water pump work. One of the components he needs is a bicycle.
Building Dreams with Wind and Perseverance Perseverance and resilience were central themes in the story of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. William’s story illustrates how determination can transform lives, even when confronted with immense difficulties like the ones William experienced in Malawi. William Kamkwamba, the young inventor, demonstrated perseverance through his determination to build a windmill in order to benefit him and his family, despite the laughter from his village and doubts from his family. This essay will explore how William’s journey demonstrated the core of perseverance and what the book ultimately conveyed about it. William’s determination was clear from the very beginning of the book when he became convinced to bring electricity to his village.
I know this because the text says “After the chickens cleared out, I looked at the broken beam and saw that my wires had crossed during the collapse.”(217) As a result, William brainstorms a better plan for the lights because if the wires cross then they could catch fire. Then William starts to make a breaker box for his lights. So, He installs the breaker box to the wall and also a light switch. Ultimately, William did that so he wouldn’t catch his house on fire.
Dive into the inspiring narrative of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. An incredible true story written by Bryan Mealer and its main character and first-person narrator, William Kamkwamba. The captivating and true classic of the boy, tells the story of a resourceful teenager who used nothing but scraps to build a windmill that forever changed the lives of his village, starting from his backyard. Despite facing daunting trials and adversity, William eventually overcame his famine, poverty, and emotional challenges with incredible perseverance, courage, and determination. His journey serves as a demonstration to the spirit’s ability to conquer challenges and only come out stronger.
Once upon a time, William Kamkwamba was a poor farmer in Malawi, but now he made a life for himself as an innovator that gained fame through his change in life. In life, change happens because different events occur. Some of those alterations are for the better. However, many of them turn out for the worse. In the story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connel, the theme demonstrates change happens for the better or worse.
Have you ever met anyone who can build a functioning windmill from scratch with little education? William Kamkwamba, the author and autobiographer of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, tells us his incredible life story, complete with famine, hardships, and triumph in the city of Malawi, Africa. Throughout the book, we see William grow and change as he and his family battle poverty and other losses. With William’s help, we begin to notice elements of his culture contrasted to our own, and cultural diffusion between Malawi and the USA.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a New York Times bestselling novel that tells the story of William Kamkwamba and how he changed thousands of lives. Knowing he had no other choice, William searched eagerly for ways to save his small Malwiam village from drought. Going against all traditions and common beliefs, he looks to science books for answers. He is brutally mocked and bullied for his inventions until everything changes and he provides the power for the whole village. In this biography, multiple key themes are explored such as innovation, tradition, and selflessness.
When the government finally steps in to aid the farmers, they only deliver a small handful of “starter packs” with fertilizer and seeds to a village of almost one thousand desperate farmers. Camilla Toulmin, a British economist and Director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, describes, “at one time land seemed an almost inexhaustible asset in Africa, but population growth and market development have created mounting competition for land resources, especially close to towns and cities, and in the productive, high-value agricultural areas” (Toulmin 29). In Zimba’s situation, the lack of land
Therefore, the fact remands this drought changed the way of East African peoples life and the affects on the children who never knew the environment any other way are all born into a life of inequality and with all the resources in the world and ability to make food surplus there is no reason to why people should be starving not only due drought but in any condition.