William Kamkwamba
Kamkwamba is the protagonist of the book, and it follows him as he goes from playful, curious child to innovative, enterprising adult. He grows up in a rural area called Wimbe, and often helps his father with their farm. In many ways, he is a normal child, playing with his friends and going hunting with his dog, but he is also intensely interested in science. In school, he is a motivated student, but because of his poverty, he has to drop out. However, due to his personal drive, he decides to erect a windmill in his backyard using the diagrams and books that he finds at his local library. Using the wind, William is able to generate electricity for his home and his community. This creation launches William into international fame, and opens up a lot of doors for him and his country, as his story becomes a lightning rod for foreign aid.
Trywell Kamkwamba
William's father, Trywell, is a strong man with a strong faith in God. Married to Agnes, Trywell demonstrates on many occasions that he is willing to face the magical forces that make other villagers cower in fear.
In the beginning of William's life, Trywell is a trader at the market, but his brother John encourages him to try farming, as it is much more profitable. Trywell eventually moves his family to a farm in Wimbe and farms crops such as tobacco. Throughout his life, he makes many sacrifices, both physical and monetary, for his children's future, and is generally a kind and brave man.
Agnes Kamkwamba
Agnes is the wife of Trywell and mother to William. She marries Trywell after seeing him often at the market, and is responsible for running the home, cooking, and taking care of the children. Throughout the book, she undergoes her own suffering, making nsima cakes to sell at market to keep their family going and catching malaria when her youngest child is mere months old. She is a brave and sensible figure in William's life.
Geoffrey
Geoffrey is William's cousin, and the two grew up together playing games, repairing radios, and hunting in the bush. He is a consistently supportive presence in William's life, and has often helped him in his seemingly outrageous schemes. His father is Uncle John, the brother of Trywell, who passes early in his life; this changes Geoffrey's attitude towards life, as he has to take up more responsibility at home. However, his friendship with William remains throughout all of his difficulties.
Uncle John
William's uncle and Trywell's brother, Uncle John is a supportive figure for the William's family. He encourages his brother to move out to rural Wimbe to start a farm, and eventually dies from tuberculosis suddenly and unexpectedly. His death rattles the family for a while, and Geoffrey mourns his father for a long time.
Khamba
William's dog is first introduced when William's uncle Socrates moves into the neighborhood. Loyal and playful, William is at first annoyed with the dog, but eventually grows to like him, developing a deep bond between the two. However, during the famine, Khamba is barely fed, as the people are barely fed, as so dies in a forest after being abandoned by William and Charity.
Gilbert
William's friend and the son of Chief Wimbe, Gilbert is loyal and kind. In addition to supporting William's projects emotionally, he often buys him parts that he needs, and spends a lot of time with him. Because his father is the chief of the village, however, he bears a lot of responsibility when it comes to the famine. He also goes to Kachokolo with William.
Charity
Charity is William's older cousin who lives in an mphala. He is a bachelor and often fends for himself. He treats William like an annoying younger sibling, but sometimes includes him in activities. Charity also did not like Khamba, thinking of him as a mangy dog forbidden from entering the compound.
Chief Wimbe
The title of Chief Wimbe primarily refers to Albert Mofat throughout the book, the father of Gilbert. He is a man of upstanding moral character, standing up for his people when they encounter times of suffering and doing all that he can to provide.
Socrates
One of William's uncles, Socrates came to live with his brother Trywell when he loses his job as a welder. He brings Khamba with him, who later became William's dog.
Mizeck
Mizeck is one of the members of the mphala and friends with Charity, William's cousin.
President Muluzi
The president of Malawi at the time of the famine in 2004, he does not handle the crisis appropriately, and denies its existence for most of the year.
Tiyamike
Tiyamike is William's youngest sister, born during the famine of 2004.
Annie
William's older sister, she elopes during the famine of 2004.
Edith Sikelo
She is a teacher at Wimbe that also operated the local library where William learned about windmills.
Mister Godsten
Mister Godsten owns a welding shop in Wimbe. At first, when William goes to him with items he needs welded, Mister Godsten views him as a crazy person. But after the success of his windmill, Mister Godsten becomes a friendly and integral part to William's invention process.
Dr. Mchazime
A kind, intelligent, and driven man, Dr. Mchazime helps William shoot to international fame. When officials first see William's windmill, they contact Dr. Mchazime and he urges reporters to come and cover his story. With his connections, Dr. Mchazime plays a large part in making William's story known, acting as a liaison most of the time between William and the international community. He advocates for funding for William to return to school, and arranges his trip to Arusha for the TED conference there.
Soyapi Mumba
A nice, supportive man, Soyapi Mumba first shows William's story to the man behind Hacktivate, another essential part to William's success internationally.
Tom Rielly
Tom Rielly is the organizer of corporate sponsorships at TED, and the first to show William technologies like a laptop and the Internet. Without his aid, William would not have returned to school so soon. He also hosts William when he first comes to America.
Gerry Douglas
A British-Canadian computer scientist, Gerry teaches William and mentors him in many ways. As the founder of Baobab, Gerry is also very invested in African public health.
Jeremiah
One of William's cousins, son of Uncle John and brother to Geoffrey, Jeremiah is the eldest son of the family. As such, when his father dies, he inherits all the wealth, but squanders it on drink and merriment, leaving his family broke.
