In 2006, word of William’s windmills reached the ears of the MTTA deputy chief of party, Dr Hartford Mchazime, when his officials went to Malawi to inspect their library. Fascinated by the ingenuity of the boy, Mchazime visited William in his village to understand how he built the windmill. Along with Mchazime was the journalist Sangwani Mwafuliriwa who was writing for the Malawi Daily Times at that time. She published the first article regarding William’s windmill that was read and shared by various bloggers, eventually reaching the director of TEDGlobal in Arusha, Emeka Okafor. Okafor invited William to the TEDGlobal 2007 conference, placing him on a global stage.

William shared with the world about his windmill, his plans moving forward and dreams of going back to school. His humility, tenacity and sincerity moved people and he gained a lot of support, all of which helped him to return to school. It was also at this TED conference that William met his mentor, Tom Rielly who promised him seven years of unconditional support, a time enough for William to complete his education. In 2008, Rielly co-founded the Moving Windmills Project with William and together, they are making a difference in the lives of Malawians today.