Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Show moreįamilies can talk about how movies set in other countries and/or time periods like The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind have special value for young viewers. The family's foundation is sorely tested, and hope is in short supply. When William asks his dad to make an unusual sacrifice for the project, the boy's relentless prodding strains their usually-solid relationship. But William, with a bit of deception and a little help, gets access to an old American textbook that just may provide the technology he needs. As long shots go, a 13-year-old boy with almost no resources defies all odds. Of special interest to him are wind turbines, which his inventive mind believes might be able to provide enough electricity to water the now-barren land. But William is a gifted student, intrigued by electronics and making things work.

William's parents, Tyrell ( Chiwetel Ejiofo r) and Agnes (Aissa Maiga), determined to fund their children's education, simply cannot come up with the money for their son's school in this time of hardship. And yet, education, most critically for women and girls, is one of the most important sustainable development and climate solutions (the Drawdown Project to solve climate change ranks it as the sixth most impactful action to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions).A neglectful national government and some villagers' bad decision-making contribute to the widespread starvation descending upon William Kamkwamba's (Maxwell Simba) village after devastating flooding in THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND. Even in the United States, the poorest households are four times more likely to have children out of school than wealthier families. In communities across the globe, too often the choice has been between school and survival. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind marks Academy Award nominee ( 12 Years a Slave) Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut and raises important issues about the interconnections between access to education, poverty, hunger, clean energy, and climate change. But William believes his engineering education could be the key to solving the famine, if only he can overcome his father’s resistance to letting youths take the lead in community decision-making. School is a privilege his family can no longer afford to give William or his sister. Soon after beginning school, a drought overcomes his village, which plunges into violence and starvation. Born in an agricultural village in Malawi, William tinkers with electronics. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is based on his true story. But for William Kamkwamba, access to education has never been a given. we do not have to consider these alternatives. What would you risk to be given the chance to go to school? Your family? Your friends? For many in the U.S. Chiwetel Ejiofor (2019, U.K./ Malawi, 113 min.)

Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba