Wells, Waltz and Wall Street

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In 2001, in the remote village of Wimbe, Malawi, a teenage tinkerer put together bicycle parts, scrap metal, branches from blue gum trees and materials from rubber tyres to create Wimbe’s first windmill amid a devastating countrywide famine. Beyond starving families, the Malawi famine of the early 2000s caused children to drop out of school and significant political unrest stemming from undelivered promises from local politicians. The light of young William Kamkwamba’s innovation flickered through the tension to give hope to his family, powering household appliances and later, using more renewable energy in the form of solar-powered pumps to provide Wimbe’s first drinking water. The energy from William’s innovations eventually enabled irrigation across Wimbe’s farmland, creating a reason to celebrate on a path that almost led to hundreds of famine-related deaths and violence. Innovation and infrastructure brought Wimbe together for the better, weeks away from certain devastation.

Africa on Sam Kamau

Wells, Waltz and Wall Street