The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, A Technology-Enhanced Dream Come True
Our coalition strives to generate discussion on a broad range of technology issues including green technology. Folded within this issue is supporting renewable energy such as wind energy. I was recently watching Good Morning America and caught this inspiring story of an African man, William Kamkwamba, who recycled old motor components, a bicycle wheel, and a PVC pipe to make a wind turbine from scratch.
So with a piqued curiosity, I did some research and found this great video all about Kamkwamba’s work and impact on his severely impoverished village. Check it out
Not only did Kamkwamba teach himself about the fundamentals of harnessing wind energy but did so reading books written in a foreign language—English. Oh, and he was only 14 years old. Yeah.
Kamkwamba’s wind mill enabled his village to decrease their dependency on kerosene—powering 4 lights and 2 radios, and even mobile phones.
It is Wired Wisconsin’s hope that we all recognize the potential adopting and creating technology has in achieving our dreams and changing our realities. Technological growth depends on drawing ideas and knowledge from many sources and making the connections to link them together. What will your technology-enhanced dream be?