‘Really inspiring.’ Randolph Middle students meet African author who ‘harnessed the wind’
Students at Randolph Middle School got a just-before-summer visit from an international bestselling author on Monday.
William Kamkwamba, the Malawian co-author of “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” and a public speaker whose TED talk has more than 3 million views, visited the school to dedicate a windmill he constructed in Charlotte and to chat with students and teachers.
His book gives a nonfiction account of how Kamkwamba, as a young schoolboy in Malawi, in southern Africa, built a wind turbine to power electricity and save his village from famine. The book was a New York Times bestseller that was made into a Netflix film in 2019.
The young reader’s version is also a part of the curriculum at Randolph, where all sixth graders read the book in their language arts class.
The book inspired a lot of students to meet the man behind the story they read in class, Benjamin Rigsby, who teaches sixth grade language arts.
Kamkwamba resides in Malawi and traveled more than 8,000 miles to visit Charlotte. He has local ties to the Queen City through his wife, Olivia Scott Kamkwamba, a West Charlotte High graduate.
When he visited one of Rigsby’s classes earlier this year to discuss the book, kids were clamoring to say hello and get an autograph on their copy, Rigsby said. Those who had forgotten their books at home grabbed agendas and notebooks for him to sign.
“(Students) were able to make those big connections,” he said, as the class learned about other modern-day inventors and problem solvers. “Some even built a ‘problem-and-solution’ project (based on Kamkwamba’s windmill)... It really made their day.”
Lessons from Kamkwamba’s book
Elizabeth Crimmins, 12, got her copy of the book signed by Kamkwamba on Monday. She said the book had a good message about persistence.
“I learned that no matter what other people say, to always continue to never give up,”said Crimmins, who wants to be a scientist or doctor one day. “Even when they’re doubting you.”
Charlotte Barcott helped organize Kamkwamba’s visit to the school with her father, Rye Barcott, who had met him through the TED fellows program.
“He’s a really inspiring person,” the 12-year-old told The Charlotte Observer. “It was nice to see that everyone was very excited (to meet him). There was a lot of good energy.”
The book was a fun read with an uplifting message, she said.
“I like the highs and lows, it added a lot to the story,” Barcott added. “It was very inspiring too.”
Wright Britt, 12, said his favorite subject in school is science — a big part of why he enjoyed the book so much.
“What I learned is to always ask questions,” Britt said. “Even if you think that you’re asking too much, you never really are. You just (have to) try to learn as much as you can, always.”
Kamkwamba said he hopes that the small windmill, which he made by hand in Charlotte, serves as an on-campus reminder of the powerful combination of hard work and curiosity.
“I think it helps young people know that they can have challenges, but they’re still going to be able to achieve so many good things in life,” he said. “(I want it to show) that they shouldn’t be doubting themselves.”
This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 3:40 PM.
