William Kamkwamba had to drop out of high school because his family didn’t have enough money to cover the fees. Comitted to continuing his education, Kamkwamba found a local primary school with a large donated library. He read everything he could get his hands on, but was taken by a book on energy production that included plans for creating a windmill generator. His blog is a wonderful account of his successful attempt at providing power to his home and the homes of his neighbors.
I was inspired by this story. The “internets” have been a key component to connecting Kamkwamba with other solar engineers and the larger world–helping him improve on his original generator. His windmill is the perfect example of 21st Century skills in practice.
via BoingBoing