In honor of Blog Action Day, the video here is a six-minute TED talk by William Kamkwamba, author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Facing serious food shortages in his native Malawi while still a teenager, William taught himself some science and physics. And using scrap materials, he built the windmill that supplied electric power and pumped water to his family.

He says to others:

Trust yourself, and believe. Whatever happens, don’t give up.

You can watch the video on TED.com.

Tim BerryTim Berry

Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software and Bplans.com. Follow him on Twitter @Timberry.