Kamkwamba’s movie set for his Kasungu school
The United States (US) Embassy is scheduled to host a screening session for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind film at William Kamkwamba’s old school in Wimbe, Kasungu next week Thursday.
US Ambassador Virginia Palmer said this in an interview following the Malawi premier of the Malawian-inspired Hollywood movie, depicting a true-life story of Kamkwamba, that has attracted the international limelight.
“This is a story of a man who has rose to do great things and bring change. He is a self-taught hero and the story demonstrates the value of education.
“As the Malawian story is so important, on March 14, we will screen the movie at Kamkwamba’s old school [Kachokolo] so that students can learn from his inspiration,” she said.
Palmer added that the US volunteer programme, Peace Corps, is running projects at the school and by extension, students from Kasungu will benefit from a former volunteer’s donation of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind books.
“A Peace Corps volunteer who served in Malawi in 1987 is going to donate 4 000 copies of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind book so that students in secondary schools can participate in an initiative by the Peace Corps called Drop Everything and Read.
“It is great that the students will be encouraged to read but most importantly, that they are reading a Malawian story,” said Palmer.
According to her, the embassy is also looking into the possibility of translating the book into Chichewa to reach out many youths in the country, especially primary school pupils.
Commenting on the film after the screening, Kamkwamba said he was excited that his efforts are going far and wide.
“When I started building the windmill, I never imagined that one day I will stand here. It’s a two-hour movie yet the book is longer. It was hard for them to make some decisions to compact a long story. They did a good job and watching it takes me back in the past,” he said.
On the outrage at the Chichewa used in the movie by non-Malawian actors, he affirmatively said: “I have no problems with the Chichewa in the movie. It is difficult to learn a new language.”n
