William Kamkwamba's Malawi Windmill Bloghttp://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com

In the week that two Irish wind farm operators announced international expansions, this blog from a young Malawian entrepreneur who built his first windmill at 15 makes sobering reading. William Kamkwamba lives in Mastala village in rural Malawi and is passionate about how wind and solar power can transform his community.

Having dropped out of school in 2002 because he could no longer afford the fees, the 19-year-old built his first windmill using information gleaned from two books donated by a local NGO. Built out of waste materials scavenged from the local area and a few key components such as a bicycle dynamo, two bearings, a fan belt and a bicycle frame which he had to buy locally, William's windmill generated enough power to provide electrical light and two radios in his family home.

He is also able to charge mobile phones for neighbouring families. Prior to that, light was provided by "expensive, smoky, smelly" paraffin candles which had to be purchased 8km from his home.

William speaks Chichewa, the indigenous language of Malawi, but the country's official language is English, and William has chosen to use English for his blog.

Despite not having regular access to a computer, he manages to update his blog every couple of days providing information on his efforts to improve life for himself and the other villagers. His story seems to have hit a chord online - his first blog entry on June 18th attracted 96 comments and he's since received coverage on a range of influential blogs around the world.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about William's blog is that he only saw the internet for the first time in June at a conference in Tanzania where he had been invited to give a short presentation on his windmill.

The good news is that partly due to contributions received through his blog and coverage of his efforts in the Malawi media, William is back at school studying for his high school diploma.

The proceeds have also enabled him to buy a range of essentials from blankets to aspirin for his extended family as well as seeds and fertiliser for the upcoming planting season. This ambitious young man is now saving for university.

While many people still think of e-mail scams when Africa and the internet are mentioned, William is proof that there is a lot more going on. Entrepreneurs who are finding themselves frustrated at getting a business off the ground should read William's blog for inspiration.