BarCampAfrica was an extraordinary event.  At the end of the day, Tom Rielly shared the story of William Kamkwamba, a 14 year old boy from Malawi, who went to a local library to learn about windmills. By reading a book, William taught himself to build a windmill that could produce electricity for his home and community.

This is the essence of why it is so critical to distribute knowledge and information.  With it, people are empowered to use their own ingenuity to solve problems, create change, and make a better life for themselves and their community.

Long-term, education is the solution for development.  I’m still smiling to think of this story. It is so completely inspiring.  Below is an interview with William at TED Africa, the story of his “Moving Windmills“, and some operating principles for the continuation of the windmill project.

Awesome.