It takes a village...

Here are many of the people who loved/helped/mentored/supported/advised William Kamkwamba to this important date and at least part of what they did. It also shows how one person led to another in helping William become who he is. A warm thank you to everyone here from William and me. Speaking for myself, it's nearly impossible to express grateful I am first to everyone here.

(This post is long but you’ll learn at least one thing you didn’t know. Omissions and misspellings inevitable, not on purpose, and I’m responsible not WK. I only know a small fraction of WK's myriad friends. Just IM me)

Parents Agnes & Trywell Kamkwamba. Amazingly strong people. 
William’s sisters Annie, Isha, Doris, Rose, Mayless, Tiyamike, 
Grandparents Rose & Mr. Matiki and Doris & William Kamkwamba Sr. Only Rose Matiki is still with us.

Gilbert Wimbe, William’s best friend gave him the money to buy the bike generator, last piece of the windmill, son of the former village chief, hence the name

Geoffrey, William’s loyal cousin and close friend. Informal foreman on most WK building projects

Edith Sikelo, the librarian who helped William study after he was refused admission to high school. In her library William found the crucial books “Using Energy” and “Understanding Physics,” which would spark him to build the windmill 

Dr. Hartford Mchazime Ph.D. critical player in the story. Worked for the US NGO that gave the library, was convince William deserved a chance, brought national press to visit. Once WK invited to TED, helped him prepare

Mr. Banda, principal Madisi Secondary School. Warm and supportive when William enrolled in high school for the first time 

Sangwani Mwafuliriwa Malawi Daily Times journalist who wrote article on William after Mchazime invited him to visit with the other journalists.

Soyapi Mumba, Malawian Baobab Health Project software engineer who saw the paper story and shared it with…

…colleague Mike McKay who blogged on his site, Hactivate…

…where Erik Hersman of Afrigadget reblogged it…

… where Emeka Okafor of director of TEDGlobal in Arusha went to great trouble to invite William to attend….

… where I met William and Chris Anderson put William on stage. TED’s family warmly embraced and helped William: Chris Anderson, June Cohen, Kelly Steotzel, Bruno Giussani, Katherine McCartney, Janet McCartney, Emily McManus, Mike Femia, Michael Glass, Shoham Arad, Juliet Blake, and Guy Raz, TED Alumni: Logan McClure, Jason Wishnow, William Allen, Corey Mohr, Sokunthea Su Chaabra

Juliana Rotich, Erik Hersman and Soyapi Mumba were TEDGlobal Fellows. Soyapi rode with William on the plane, roomed with him and acted as interpreter when necessary. He’s a public health/technologist. 

International Development/Engineer Mike McKay gave William his first treadmill motor, allowing him to make a much more powerful windmill inside a few days.

Lorilee MacLean (& family) was the missionary and high school teacher at the African Bible College Christian Academy, the educator in Malawi willing to take a chance on an older student who was just returning to school. Others said “too late”

Chuck and Joanne Wilson William’s ABCCA principal and his wife embraced William and provided support and guidance

Gerry Douglas, founder of Baobab Health Project. While at ABBCA William lived with him and received amazing mentoring and kindness. Nancy, his housekeeper also helped care for WK 

Newly appointed African bureau chief Sarah Childress wrote an A-Hed front page story in the Wall Street Journal after visiting William…

… Which lead literary agent Heather Schroder to contact William….

Heather introduced William to co-author Bryan Mealer who is like WK’s older brother….

…which led to HarperCollins publishing William and Bryan’s book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Henry Ferris was editor and Lynn Grady, publisher, Seale Ballenger, Tavia Kowalchuk, Shelby Meizlik worked in marketing and PR

….Meanwhile, Fred Swaniker, co-founder with Chris Bradford of the African Leadership Academy invited William to be part of the inaugural class at their pan-African prep school in Joburg, South Africa. William was ably assisted by the fabulous Gavin Hall, and taught and advised by Scott Rubin and Alison Rodseth, with Nicola Hopwood. Githiora Thuku was his roommate and they called each other “roommate.”

Jay & Eileen Walker and family were incredibly supportive during this time

Michael Markiewicz C.P.A. C.F.P. for his expert stewardship of WK's finances and our Moving Windmills non-profit organization and, and his affection and counsel.

During the book tour, Diane Sawyer had Bryan and William on Good Morning America and Jon Stewart had William on the Daily Show where William made Jon Stewart belly laugh…

Dartmouth Thayer School of Engineering Development Executive Carol Harlow saw the Sawyer piece and invited WK to come visit Dartmouth and convince WK and Bryan to come even though they were exhausted at the end of their book tour. Without her reaching out, no WK at Dartmouth.

Joseph Helble dean of Thayer was very warm.
Maria Laskaris Dartmouth dean of admissions and Benjamin Schwartz encouraged William to apply (he was accepted)

John Collier was William’s freshman advisor and then so much more. He expertly guided William through the programming and processes of the sometimes difficult to navigate school. More important, he embraced William as a member of his own family with his wife Nancy and their two sons, one of whom worked with WK in Malawi. Besides hosting WK at Thanksgivings, on the frozen pond behind his home, he also taught WK how to play hockey.

Karen Goscik his warm and nurturing Writing for International Students professor taught William how to write at college level as well as helped him through his cultural transition.

Christopher and Molly Schmidt. Dartmouth grad and High School educator Christopher Schmidt was William’s tutor, helping him summit the sheer face of the mountain of academic under-preparedness compared to the other incoming students. But he and Molly also welcomed William into their extended family and offered a home away from home near Hanover. 

Andrew Friedland, former dean of the Environmental Studies Department was his invaluable upperclass professor and advisor

Academic Dean Brian Reed took a personal interest in William and helped him sort through myriad challenges.

Jacob Walker, Yves-Marie Duperval, Gurkaran Singh are his roommates and close friends the first two roommates since freshman and sophomore years, respectively

Dipo and Mehdi Oulmakki attended Dartmouth from African Leadership Academy, too and are very close friends. The incomparable playwright Ms. Olivia Scott.

All of his other wonderful friends

Andrea Barthello & Bill, Sam, Mike and Ramsay Ritchie. Andrea is William’s American “Mom” and she’s been on this journey for seven years of love, nurturing, guidance and strategy.

My family John Rielly & Irene Rielly, Catherine Rielly, John D. Rielly, Mary Ellen Rielly, Elizabeth Rielly, Fiona Noble, Michèle and Jason Hellinger have embraced William as one of us

Mike and Jackie have been constant believers and supporters in William 
Thank you to Ruth Ann & Bill, Ann & John, and Lynda for their confidence and support

William has spoken all over the world thanks to the team at HarperCollins Speaker’s Bureau: Jamie Brickhouse, Andrea Rosen, Wade Lucas, Erin Simpson, Caitlin McCaskey, Natalie Duncan, and Gillian Wise
International Book Editors

Thanks to Megan Wyatt, Katie Donnelly, and Amanda Scarberry of the BFF

To Kitty Boone at the Aspen Institute for offering William a platform as well as personal investment

Thanks to Lauri Hornik, William & Bryan’s children’s book editor at Dial Books for the gorgeous picture book of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, and Eizabeth Zunon the crazy-gifted illustrator whose artwork capture the spirit William as a teenager.

Scott Thrift and Ari Kuschnir of mssng pecs made an award-winning short film about William

The folks at WEF and CGI for their opportunities.

(part 3, the most exciting part, later today) 
remember, if I left anyone out, it was me, not WK. Let me know and I'll fix