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The new Netflix movie The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is an inspiring tale of a 13-year-old Malawi boy who saves his town from starvation by building a wind turbine out of scraps and bike parts. It’s the kind of story that makes us believe anything is possible, so long as we never give up and take full advantage of the books in our local library. It also claims to be based on the true story of William Kamkwamba?
So who is the real William Kamkwamba? Did he really save his small down from devastation? What is he up to now? And who plays him in the movie? Here’s what you need to know about the true story behind The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
Who is William Kamkwamba? What is the True Story of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind?
William Kamkwamba is a 31-year-old engineer and author from Kasunga, Malawi. When a terrible famine gripped the town of Wimbe, Kamkwamba was forced to quit school because his family could no longer afford the hefty tuition fee. Undeterred, Kamkwamba started visiting the local library, where he soaked up books on electronics. This is how he got the idea of building a wind turbine which could power electronic devices. Later he installed a solar-powered water pump that brought fresh water to the town for the first time.
Kamkwamba’s ingenuity soon attracted the attention of The Daily Times, a Malawi newspaper, which wrote about the boy’s accomplishment in November 2006. After that, the story spread internationally and Kamkwamba was invited to give a TED talk, and later, to appear on The Daily Show.
In 2013, Kamkwamba collaborated on a book with Bryan Mealer about his life story. The book is called — you guessed it — The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, and became a bestseller/the inspiration for this new Netflix movie.
What is William Kamkwamba Doing Today?
Good news! In 2014, Kamkwamba received a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth, meaning the boy went all the way from Malawi to the Ivy League. He has continued to use his intellect to help his fellow Malawians, and has built more wind turbines for his small town. He is planning to build still more, including one for the political capital of his country.
Who Plays William Kamkwamba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind? Who Is Maxwell Simba?
Newcomer Maxwell Simba plays William Kamkwamba in the film version of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Writer/director Chiwetel Ejiofor (who also co-stars in the film as Kamkwamba’s father) discovered the Kenyan actor. Simba is 14-years-old, and since appearing in the film, he has been offered a scholarship to attend the African Leadership Academy, a prestigious South African school that also boasts the real Kamkwamba as an alumni.
Who Directed The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind on Netflix?
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind marks the directorial debut of actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is a British actor best-known for his Oscar-nominated performance in 12 Years a Slave and his role as “Keira Knightley’s husband who doesn’t know his best friend is in love with Keira Knightley” in Love Actually.
