The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind: An Analysis

As a five year-old, I was convinced first grade would be the end of me. Growing up, I never enjoyed school and I figured that it would be best if I did not attend. That first morning, I was determined I would not be sent to school, or at least not go down without a fight. As I kicked and fought, I fancied myself a fearless warrior, though of course, even the best knight will be defeated and as expected, I lost the battle. I was locked up in the dungeon known as school. Looking back now, I am thankful for the opportunities I had to receive an education for it has truly changed my life. In addition to influencing us as people, education is also essential for a society to improve, much like how William from “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” was

For example, when William built a windmill that provided energy for lightbulbs, he said that “Having lights at night was a remarkable improvement to my family’s life” (Kamkwamba 214). Especially in rural areas, such as Malawi where William lived as a boy, technological advances can vastly change a family’s routines and make life easier. Education also fueled innovation, such as when William “didn’t have any fuses, so like everything else, improvised by using what [he] had around the house” (Kamkwamba 216). Often times, innovators are buried under poor conditions and even the slightest amount of education can help them form amazing ideas that can change a community. Education opens people’s eyes to the possibilities in the world around them, cause them to see certain things differently and help them see the importance in improving our ways of

For example, “A survey last year indicated that 21.7% of donors who stopped giving blood did so out of fear of contracting AIDS” (Worthington 2). However, with education, we know that the chances of contracting AIDS from donating blood is close to zero and this fear is irrational and completely unneeded. Education could make it so that people are more informed about such issues and this will not only bring back blood donors but also cause people to better understand their surroundings. This issue is not simply about AIDS but rather extends to many topics as every discussed problem will always have people who partake in “an irrational degree of fear, which is different from concern” (Worthington 3). It is important that we, as people are knowledgeable because this will make the decisions we formulate better and cause us to be more aware of problems around us. This consciousness could lead to more people undertaking the solving of social and technological issues, as well as bring back the correct practices that have been lost in a frenzy of fear. Education helps us realize the truth behind things, which will make us, as a community more knowledgeable and mindful about our