Myself (editorial/photography), Dan Sweet (design/photography) and Dawson Hunter (video) went up to Seattle this weekend and met Malawian William Kamkwamba. He's a person you're not going to want to forget. I'm not going to get into his whole story right now (keep your eyes peeled on a future issue of brass), but eight years ago (at the age of 14) William built a windmill out of junkyard garbage and scraps to provide his house with electricity. He has since built two more windmills on his family property to pump water and provide additional power.
To read more about William, check out his blog. Also, watch him on The Daily Show this Wednesday (the 7th). Finally, if you get the chance, go watch his presentation with Bryan Mealer the co-author of his new book, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind as they continue their book tour. Check out Bryan's blog to find out where and when they will be appearing (bottom right corner under "Appearances").
William is a fantastic, polite, charming and genuinely nice individual. Instead of sitting back and wishing things were better, he took the resources (or lack thereof) at hand and created what he needed to change his world for the better. He's now working to change the world and improve the living situation of those around him.
It's an example and message we can all aspire to, whether we're in Smalltown, Africa or Smalltown, USA.
--Jens
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