William Kamkwamba's story is amazing, it's against all odds and shows the power of the human spirit. I was so blessed, impressed and challenged by this film only available on Netflix.
I've been to Africa many times, probably more than 50 times nows, and been to remote rural areas, which this film depicts, although in Malawi, further south than I normally travel.
The gripping reality of rural areas faced with floods and drought in the same year, makes growing conditions very difficult. Couple that with deforestation and land grabs by corporations it's amazing anyone survives at all. Yet for millions of people this is normal life and they work through amazing challenges to not just survive but create community that lasts.
Faced with a mix of problems William's story is that of a young boy who questions why about most everything. How does a dynamo work, a water pump, a wind turbine. He puts the pieces together in-spite of not being able to fully attend school due to lack of finance for school fees.
His Father is desperate to try and find a way to grow crops, he's battling against nature and nature is winning. In his frustration Williams father things his child is wasting time on the nonsense os using technology to solve problems. It's only when he reaches literally the end of himself that William's Dad relents and gets behind Williams idea of using wind power connected the to Dynamo to charge a battery to power a water pump to bring water to the harvest field.
I was so struck by one scene in the film where they walked through the new grave yard in the village where they had buried all those who had starved to death.
This often precarious film, showed a true account of life in difficult rural conditions.
This Child William, saved his Family and Village from starvation. I knew the story having seen William present on a Ted talk, but never fully knew the back story.
He's since gone on to excel in school and university such was his passion and determination to make a difference.
I can't recommend this film enough, it's harrowing yet heart warming, desperate yet a dream come true. You'll need access to Netflix to watch it.
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