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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Ruby Jones
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And I'm Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier to understand no matter where in the world you live.
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How do you solve a problem? Today's Spotlight is on William Kamkwamba a young man who took the power of the wind to solve his family's problem.
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William Kamkwamba grew up in the village of Mastala in Malawi. It is a farming village of about 60 families. William's family was large, about 20 people. Many of the families in the village made money by growing food and tobacco plants. William went to school with many other children in the village. And he was a good student. But when he was 14 years old, William's parents took him out of school. They did not have enough money. So he worked with them at home instead.
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As William worked, he observed the wind blowing across the countryside. He wanted to put this wind to work. He wanted to find a way to use the wind. He remembered seeing a book about windmills when he was in school. These tall structures stand in open areas. At the top of the windmill, the wind turns connected pieces of metal. And this makes electricity.
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William knew that wind energy was free to use. All he had to do was build a windmill. Windmills create renewable energy. That is, energy that never stops being created. People often create energy by burning things such as oil, gas, wood, or coal. Burning these materials does create energy. But they cost money. And they are gone once they are used - they cannot be re-used.
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But renewable energy cannot be completely used up. There are three main kinds of renewable energy. Water power from flowing rivers and streams. Solar power from the sun, and wind power. Windmills are the best way to control and use wind power. They are also called wind turbines. The wind turns long pieces of metal or wood. These cause another metal or wood bar to turn. This bar turns the parts of a machine called a generator. The generator changes the wind energy into electricity. People can use this electricity in their homes.
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William wanted to build a windmill to create electricity for his home. So he went to the local book-lending center, the library. He borrowed some books about windmills. The books explained how windmills worked. They said that the windmills could create electricity or even pump water. But the books did not teach how to build a windmill.
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William loved science and engineering. He liked to learn how things worked. So William found materials in his own village. He started trying to make his own windmill. He used all the sticks, plastic pipes, and pieces of metal he could find. He worked for two months building his first windmill. It was a tall wooden structure. On the top was part of a two wheeled bicycle. A turning wheel connected to the bicycle wheels. The turning wheel was made with long pieces of plastic to catch the wind.
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People in his village did not understand what William was doing. They thought he was going insane. They could not believe that William could build something that would make electricity. But then they saw that the windmill could power two radios and four electric lights. And they understood that the windmill could be useful. Then people wanted to help William.
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The windmill made life better for the Kamkwamba family. They no longer had to buy oil for light. William's sisters could stay awake into the night to study for school, using lights powered by the wind.
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When his windmill was finished, William returned the books to the library. He talked to the library worker about the project. And the library worker asked if he could come to see the windmill. But the worker did not come alone. He brought newspaper writers with him.
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The writers were amazed that William taught himself how windmills worked. They did not think that a boy who did not finish school could do something so amazing.
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Time went on and William built more windmills. He improved his first windmill. He learned a lot as he built more windmills. He built a windmill for the school in his village. And he used it to teach other people how to build windmills.
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More people learned of William and his windmills. And finally, a group of businessmen became interested in William. They invited William to a large technology conference in Tanzania. William talked about his first windmill. Many people were surprised at William's story. They wanted to help him. The first step was to help William return to school.
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At the conference, William also used a computer for the first time. He searched on the internet for information about windmills. He was amazed at all the information. He knew there was much more he could do and learn.
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Many people gave money to William. William used this for many projects. He repaired the homes of his family and friends. He bought his cousins and sisters their first books. People gave computers that William brought to the school in his village. And now for the first time, William and his family can now go to the doctor to make sure they stay healthy.
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Finally, William worked with people in his village to dig a well. William has a dream to build a large windmill that could pump water for his whole village. This water could help all the crops in the village grow better.
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William has travelled all over the world learning about renewable energy. He has met with important people. And he has taught them about how renewable energy can be used in poor villages like his in Malawi. A writer is writing a book about William. Film-makers are making a movie about William's life. William continues to attend school and continues to learn about new ways to create electricity. He hopes to someday to start a company that makes windmills. William wants to create free, dependable electricity for people all over the world.
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To learn more about William and his work, you can visit his website. William writes about the places he visits, the people he meets, and the work he is doing. You can find a link to his website on the script page for this program.
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