About - The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

This is a post I am attempting to write after ages.

Before I start off I want to express gratitude ...So, To:

That cousin, cousin-in-law or relative, who has always remembered to mention a word of praise for my writing attempts; That friend made through blogging, who always drops in to say a Hi on social media; Some new aspiring bloggers who remember me, when needing someone to read through and give some suggestions; That friend who asked "Have not seen your blog for a while?"; To anyone or anything the Universe has thrust in my direction to remind me that this is an activity i do for pure personal joy more than anything else...

Thank You!

When all of us happily celebrated the dawn of 2020 on December 31st 2019, little would we have expected it to turn out like this.Ironically, we as a family were on a flight back to Singapore from India when 2020 arrived. In a few months we witnessed all air routes being cancelled at a global scale and lock downs being implemented everywhere.

There were major changes in the way we lead our lives and we slowly started adapting to the "New Normal"

But the way we collectively as humans are facing this crisis, and adapting ourselves to the lifestyle changes required, gives me hope and awe at human perseverance. Perhaps this inherent fighting nature is what has helped us over centuries ...To survive and grow!

There was a movie I saw on Netflix which depicts a heart warming story about this human quality .

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

It is  based on the memoir of the same name by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.

The movie is based on a true story of a 13 year old boy William, played by Maxwell Simba who believes that he can use science to find a solution that can help his family during devastating times of famine and hunger.

I have not seen many movies with Africa in the background. The story in set in Malawi and the rustic way of life in countries with a long way to go in terms of economic development and self sustenance is captured beautifully.

In one of the very first scenes in the movie,  the whole family is rejoicing, when the protagonist William tries on his new uniform for the first time. Slowly we are pulled into the harsh realities of their world, where children are asked to discontinue from school as their families cannot afford the fees.

The family reaches a stage where they can have only one meal a day. They sit around and try to logically decide which one it should be - Breakfast, lunch or dinner! A scene that we should etch on our minds to remind us that managing four meals a day with no difficulty its a blessing in itself!

Chiwetel Ejiofor who has directed the movie plays William's father. We travel with him in his relentless fight against the odds, frustration at way things turn out, annoyance at Williams suggestions to sacrifice his only bicycle for his set up and finally taking the leap of faith with his child.

The mother played by Aissa Maiga is a strong willed and level headed woman who fights along and gives a gentle push to her husband at a juncture when he is bound by hesitation!

Overall when the water finally starts pouring out because of his windmill, we feel joy and confidence in the endearing human quality called Perseverence!