I believe I can fly

What started as a four-day conference in California 26 years ago, ‘Technology, Entertainment, Design’ (TED), a non-profit organization devoted to ideas worth spreading, has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives.

Today, TED shares ideas from a broad spectrum from science to business to global issues in more than 100 languages.

Malawi on Saturday became one of the countries having a first time vernacular speaker at TEDxLilongwe as innovator Felix Kambwiri, a 45 year old welder from Dowa who built a helicopter delivered his captivating Chichewa presentation at Crossroads Hotel.

Kambwiri dropped out of school in standard 8 and studied at MEDI obtaining a Welding and Metal Works certificate. He has built a helicopter with nothing but imagination and determination.

“I remember when I started building it people called me so many names. They thought I was mad but I never gave up because I had a dream and my only goal was making the dream come true. I am currently raising K360, 000 ($500) to buy a 175 CC engine to finish the helicopter so that it can take off,” disclosed Kambwiri.

His ambitious plan dates back to when he was a boy and saw Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the president at the time, flying around Malawi to get to campaign rallies and to visit remote villages.

Kambwiri, who is married and a father of seven children, also credits his enthusiasm for flight to watching war movies and listening to radio shows.

Snippet from: http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawian-who-built-scrap-metal-helicopter-becomes-first-chichewa-speaker-at-tedx-i-believe-i-can-fly/#sthash.E22aHgqd.dpuf