In 2001, Malawi suffered serve droughts and floods in various parts of the country, leading to one of the worst famines in the country’s history. Food supplies ran low as crop yields dropped. The staple crop – maize, had a 400,000 tonnes deficit, yet the government refused to acknowledge that a crisis was impending. When the government finally admitted the situation, it was too late for intervention and more than 7 million people in the country were at the brink of starvation.

William’s village was no exception. His family struggled to put food on the table and could no longer afford his school fees, forcing him to drop out of school. However, he had a strong passion for learning and was constantly found immersed in books about electromagnetism, motors, and electricity at a library of a primary school. These topics fascinated him since they were a rare commodity in Malawi.

The school library was donated as part of the Malawi Teacher Training Activity (MTTA). It was there that William found the textbook Using Energy containing the picture of a windmill that he based his design off. With the help of the librarian, Edith Sikelo, William found several other books related to Physics that provided him with the technical knowledge for the construction of a windmill. In 2002, William completed his first windmill and for the next 5 years, he continued building, unbeknownst to the world.