Ipswich Middle School class studies Malawi

The Ipswich Middle School 7A class read the book "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.

The book is the story of William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi. A terrible drought struck the village and his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William explored books to find a solution. He came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he would build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, the windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.

Steph Kaiser, the 7A teacher, said they learned about the culture in Malawi, even making a recipe from the country. They learned more about the author and they investigated issues with housing, flooding, and water, she said.

The class gave a presentation to other students on their work.

Class members made bracelets to raise money for a fundraiser, donating $35 to Raising Malawi to help go toward a child's education.

"I am very proud of them for their hard work," said Mrs. Kaiser.