Two years ago, I stood on the TED stage in Arusha, Tanzania.
I spoke very briefly about one of my proudest creations.
It was a simple machine that changed my life.
I had never been away from my home
On the stage that day, I was so nervous.
(Laughter)
I had never been surrounded by so many azungu,
(Laughter)
There was a story I wouldn't tell you then.
But well, I'm feeling good right now.
I would like to share that story today.
We have seven children in my family.
This is me with my dad when I was a little boy.
Before I discovered the wonders of science,
Like everyone else, we grew maize.
One year our fortune turned very bad.
In 2001 we experienced an awful famine.
Within five months all Malawians began to starve to death.
My family ate one meal per day, at night.
Only three swallows of nsima for each one of us.
The food passes through our bodies.
In Malawi, the secondary school,
Because of the hunger, I was forced to drop out of school.
and looked at those dry fields.
It was the future I couldn't accept.
I felt very happy to be at the secondary school,
so I was determined to do anything possible
I read books, science books, especially physics.
I couldn't read English that well.
to learn the words around them.
Another book put that knowledge in my hands.
It said a windmill could pump water and generate electricity.
which we were experiencing by that time.
So I decided I would build one windmill for myself.
But I didn't have materials to use,
Many people, including my mother,
(Laughter)
with switches, and even a circuit breaker,
modeled after an electric bell.
Queues of people start lining up at my house
(Laughter)
(Applause)
(Laughter)
and which lead to a call from something called TED.
I had never seen an airplane before.
So, on stage that day in Arusha,
So I would like to say something
to all the people out there like me
who are struggling with your dreams.
Maybe one day you will watch this on the Internet.
I say to you, trust yourself and believe.
Whatever happens, don't give up.
(Applause)