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| Photos: Erik Hersman |
I want to tell you about a boy named William. He lives in Malawi. It is a country in Africa. In the photo he’s making a windmill (طاحونة / yel değirmeni ). When
William was 14 his family became very poor (مسكين / yoksul ). For a long time there was no rain. His family could
not grow food. William’s father did
not have the money to pay (للدفع / ödemek) for school. William had to leave (يغادر / ayrılmak) school. He was very sad.
But William did not complain (يشتكي / şikayet etmek). He did not stop learning. Every day he walked
to the library to read books. He taught (teach / öğretmek)
himself English. Then he
learned about electricity (كهرباء). He used (ليستخدم / kullanmak) what he learned to help his village.
In the library he found a book called, Using Energy.
The book showed (ليعرض / göstermek için) how windmills can make electricity. William searched (للبحث / aramak için ) for
parts
to make a windmill.
He found old bicycles,
wire (الأسلاك / tel ), and pieces of metal (فلز /metal parçalar). With these things he made a windmill. But everyone
laughed at him!
They said he was mentally ill (مريض عقليا / akıl hastası). The people in the village said he must be sent away! It
was very hard (صعبة / zor ) for William
when
people said he was crazy. But he did not quit (ليستقيل / bırakmak).
After 2 months, William finished (تم الانتهاء من / bitirmek için) his first windmill!
It was made of plastic pipes (أنابيب بلاستيكية / plastik borular ), parts of old
tractors ( الجرارات / traktörler ), bicycles, and motorcycles (دراجات نارية / motosikletler ). Electricity
from the windmill let William's family use a radio and a light bulb. The villagers could not believe (لتصدق / inanmak ) it! William found a way to give his family electricity. For the
first time his family had light at night. They could read and work at
night. William built 4 more windmills. His
whole village now has electricity and an electric water pump ( مضخة مياه كهربائية / su pompası).
William’s life shows that success (نجاح /başarı) does not come from where you
live or what you have. Success comes from working hard. It comes from believing in your ideas. William once said, “Do not insult (للإهانة / hakaret etmek) me today because I am poor. You do not know what my future (مستقبل / gelecek ) will be!”