Wimbe Village

Today we got up early and went to Wimbe village, where “The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind” was set.  When we got there, we went straight to William’s house and he was actually there!  He was getting ready to leave in a taxi to go to the airport and leave to go back to school in America.  We were so lucky to catch up with him quickly before he left. 

On our way to the Wimbe Village.
Photo by Marie Freeman

            Today was pretty crazy, because we actually got to see what everything in the book looked like.  We got to meet William’s family, see the library that he checked books out of, and even went to the trading center.

Us with William Kamkwamba.
Photo by Marie Freeman

William talking with us.
Photo by Marie Freeman

Exploring the village.
Photo by Marie Freeman

Blessings looking at the arrows that Williams grandfather used to hunt with. 
Photo by Marie Freeman

William's first windmill.
Photo by Marie Freeman.

Touring the primary school in the Wimbe Village.
Photo by Marie Freeman

Posing in front of the library that William checked books out from.
Photo by Marie Freeman

            Overall, the day was pretty good, but it was kind of overshadowed by the fact that I was still dealing with the sunburn that I got at the lake.  I got burned really bad, so the entire day, my back was stinging as if I was getting bit by mosquitoes.  This didn’t stop the entire time that we were gone, so it was really hard for me to enjoy everything. 

            Nevertheless, I realized how cool of an opportunity it was to be in Wimbe village seeing the things that we got to see and made the best of it. 

            Looking back on the day, I have come to realize how blessed I am.  I am pretty sure that this is a typical takeaway from a day visiting Africa, however, it keeps hitting me everyday and I believe that this realization will permeate the way that I live for the rest of my life.  William made a huge breakthrough in his village with the use of wind energy to create electricity and he continues to innovate ways to use everyday waste for energy.  The thing that I noticed today was that his family was still living in the same place and in the same traditional manner as the rest of the village.  They definitely had more luxuries and amenities than the rest of the village, but I had this picture in my mind that they would have a nice house and be living a luxurious life instead of still growing maize behind their house. 

            In reflection on my time here so far, I consider whether or not I could see myself living here and working here.  I have only been here for a short time, but I have a hard time seeing myself coming back to a place like Malawi.  I have definitely learned a lot so far and will take back what I have learned and apply it to my life, but for some reason, I think that I would really struggle in this environment.  The weather is hot and the days are long.  This response could be due to how packed our schedule is, however, I think that it might be the same regardless.