Pakistan Observer proudly presents 30 under 30 for the year 2021 to promote the young individuals who are extending their professional, social, business, technological, and scientific acumen to a variety of areas. The majority of these gifted people come from all walks of life and have made significant contributions to Pakistan’s economy and industry.
1. Sana Khan
29-year-old Sana is a Program Manager at Google, where she oversees the company’s Stadia cloud gaming service’s go-to-market approach and hardware preparation.
Khan is the only Pakistani woman who holds the honor of having pioneered programmes such as ‘Stadia’s Free Play Days,’ which were implemented during the pandemic for financially disadvantaged gamers, as well as driving a scholarship scheme for female developers.
2. Asad J Malik
Asad J Malik is a marketing and advertising professional. He received his Bachelor of Arts/Science from Bennington College and relocated to the United States from Pakistan in 2016 for higher education. Since then, he has been a leader in utilizing virtual reality for storytelling.
Malik’s breakthrough film, Terminal 3, starred young Muslim refugees, and A Jester’s Story, in collaboration with Magic Leap, discussed the personification of Artificial Intelligence.
He currently resides in Los Angeles, partnering with Verizon to develop educational AR interactions with 5G. He is the 24-year-old CEO of Jadu AR, an app that produces holograms and virtual 3D shows (with TikTok stars and musicians) to make them look authentic and engaging for listeners.
3. Danish Dhamani
Danish Dhamani, a Pakistani native who grew up in East Africa, was afraid of giving presentations in class and in work interviews when he came to the United States. In 2017, he collaborated with his Drexel University classmates Aasim and Paritosh Gupta to create Orai (for “oral AI”), a speech-coaching software.
Danish discovered 5,000 engaged monthly consumers through his software who monitor themselves communicating and collect input such as how many times they say “um” from corporate clients such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Comcast, and IBM, as well as individuals who pay $10 a month.
The company from Philadelphia has secured $2.3 million in seed investment and plans to break even in 2021.
Speaking to Pakistan Observer, Dhamani said, “You can be the smartest entrepreneur with the best idea, but if you can’t articulate it to others effectively or tell a compelling story, you will go nowhere. So learn public speaking, try to practice and present at any occasion you can. Also, building a business is about solving problems, not about building apps. So go find a problem worth solving, in a big enough market where you’ll improve the quality of lives of other human beings”.
4. Faizan Bhatty
Faizan Bhatty is a marketing and advertising student at the University of Pennsylvania, co-founded Halo Cars in 2019 with his friend KenanSaleh as a way to build new ad space on rideshare vehicles and a way for Uber and Lyft drivers to make more money.
“Smart digital displays sit above vehicles, allowing the viewing of hyper-targeted advertising,” Forbes said, adding that experiments and a test were financed by venture competition grants, with $500,000 from angel investors following. Within a year of its founding, Bhatty’s business was acquired by Lyft.
5. Momin Saqib
The multi-talented British-Pakistani, Momin Saqib has been named Commonwealth Youth COVID-19 Hero at the Commonwealth Youth Awards 2021. Under the ‘charitable work’ category, MominSaqib has been named the Commonwealth Young Covid-19 Hero. Saqib has been recognized for his dedicated efforts towards a charitable initiative ‘One Million meals’. Backed by David Beckham, Saqib co-founded the organization with the help of Arif Malik, a British-Pakistani restaurateur, and an award-winning chef, Raja Suleman Raza back in March 2020 when the pandemic hit the world.
The initiative served as an immediate response to COVID-19 when the organization started providing warm meals to the frontline workers. To date, the organization has provided over 100,000 meals in hundreds of locations. The charitable initiative received global appreciation from different media giants including BBC, Sky News, and The Guardian.
Earlier, Saqib made headlines when he got elected as the first Non-EU President of the Student union at King’s College, London. In order to recognize their former alumni, King’s College congratulated Saqib on this achievement.
Despite his many achievements, Momin Saqib is widely recognized in Pakistan as the face of the most famous meme of 2019 when he went viral during the Cricket World Cup.
Team Momin Saqib shared further information with Pakistan Observer stating that “Momin Saqib initially made history by getting elected as the first Non-EU President of the King’s College London Students’ Union in 144 years and being awarded an Honourary Life Membership with a permanent plaque at the famous Bush House.
He is the co-founder of Tayaba.org – a nonprofit organization working to address the plight of the impoverished and water-deprived communities in Pakistan, transforming lives through their innovative H2O wheels which ease the accessibility, storage, and transportation of water, especially in rural areas of Pakistan like Tharparkar in Sindh.
More recently, Momin has become a welcomed member of the Pakistani showbiz industry, establishing an impressive presence among seasoned senior actors. Much before the release of his silver screen debut ‘Dam Mastam’, he has been seen acting in two dramas and also has an upcoming telefilm releasing this Eid. Momin has received positive feedback for his extraordinary performance in the much-talked-about television drama ‘Raqs-e-Bismil’, showing another side of his multi-faceted personality.
The Overseas Pakistani Foundation gave Momin the title of the ‘Pride of Pakistan’ in 2017.
In March 2021, Momin was awarded as a Commonwealth Youth COVID-19 Hero for the charitable initiative he co-founded with a team of volunteers in March 2020 called “One Million Meals”. The initiative, backed by football legend David Beckham (in line with targets of the UN SDG #2: Zero Hunger) was an emergency response to the COVID-19 crisis in the UK, providing NHS staff and other key workers, including police, school staff, and firefighters, with free nutritious meals.
Led by volunteers, the initiative has to date provided over 100,000 meals and beverages in more than 200 locations through 47 hospitals, trusts, and food banks.
Over the years, Momin has frequently been invited as a speaker by various national and international educational institutions and organizations across the globe, including sessions for TEDx and AIESEC.
6. Selena Khawaja
Selena Khawaja has been the world’s youngest individual to summit Mount Spantik, also known as the “Golden Peak,” which is located in the scenic Gilgit-Baltistan Karakoram sub-range.
The 10-year-old girl from Pakistan, Selena Khawaja, who is known as the Mountain Princess has successfully scaled Spantik Peak. By doing so, she has become the youngest ever mountaineer to summit a 7000-er”, the Pakistani government said on Twitter.
The young “mountain princess,” who was born in Abbottabad, a city in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, scaled the Golden Peak on July 17 with her dad, Yousaf Khawaja, a well-known mountaineer. Selena is now optimistic and prepared for an 8,000-meter climb as well as Mount Everest.
On Feb. 21, last year, the “Pakistani mountain princess” became the youngest person to climb the 5,765-meter (18,914-foot) high QuzSar Peak in Hunza, northern Pakistan.
Selena then went on to ascend the MingligSar peak in June 2018 at an altitude of 6,050 meters (19,850 feet) and the WilyoSar peak in August 2018 at an altitude of 6,150 meters (20,177 feet) before going to Spantik peak this year.
7. Zenith Irfan
Zenith Irfan, dubbed “The Motorcycle Girl of Pakistan,” defied all expectations by being the first female motorcyclist to cross the world. She challenged all gender stereotypes in Pakistan by taking this oath to follow her father’s dream of riding his motorcycle around the world when she was just 20 years old.
In 2015, she rode her bike 3200 kilometers from Lahore to Khunjerab Pass. She’s gone on more cycling trips since then, empowering millions of girls around the world. She earned her bachelor’s degree from a prestigious Pakistani university and seamlessly balanced her studies and her love. The Motorcycle Girl, a feature film focusing on her journey, was released on April 20, 2018. She wants to establish a business that promotes motorcycle travel. She has the traits of a real Earthmover: she is fearless, bold, and committed.
When the Editorial Team at Pakistan Observer contacted Zenith, she had a message for her fans and followers. Zenith said, “Stay true to yourselves. Believe comes from you and if you’re able to believe in your dreams, everything will fall into place automatically.”
8. Hannia Zia
After studying Computer Science at Yale University, she served as a Product Manager for Google. She introduced the Google Pay app in Singapore, which is integrated with the top three banks in the nation, DBS, OCBC, and Standard Chartered, for peer-to-peer payments.
She recently became a mentor for Venture for Pakistan and is now looking to contribute to Pakistan’s software ecosystem.
Hania is now mentoring 19 Fellows for the inaugural Fellows S20 Cohort, chosen from a selection of 1000 candidates.
Speaking to Pakistan Observer Hannia expressed her challenges and how she overcame them. She said, “Throughout my time at Google, I felt a gap between the incredible tech I was working on and the burgeoning problems plaguing Pakistan. I became painfully aware of a growing digital divide worldwide, where emerging economies like Pakistan are denied the benefits of technology that richer countries reap. The COVID-19 pandemic gave me an opportunity to use what I learned at Google to address pressing issues at home.
I would encourage more people to go into the technology field, especially women. Technology can really help boost Pakistan’s economy since there’s so much potential for startups and software exports. Technology can help solve inefficiencies in existing systems to solve some of Pakistan’s toughest problems.”
9. Misha Japanwala
Artist MishaJapanwala is known for making it to the Forbes list of 30 under 30. Japanwala is a visual artist and designer whose work addresses issues such as domestic violence and honor killings in Pakistan. She collaborated with Gigi Hadid last year on a sculptural mask for a special issue of V Magazine that the supermodel guest-edited.
Another of Japanwala’s works, a collection of breastplates and other wearable body castings, was featured in a six-page spread in Vogue Spain in 2018, modeled by French model Cindy Bruna.
10. Samar Khan
Samar Khan is a cyclist from Pakistan. She is the first woman in the world to bike on the 4,500-meter Biafo Glacier in GilgitBaltistan’s Karakoram Mountains.
Khan is from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Khas Dir. Federal Urdu University awarded her a master’s degree in physics. She studied paragliding at the Army School of Physical Training, Kakul, where she found her passion for sports.
Samar told Pakistan Observer, “In a country like Pakistan, where the biggest strength & responsibility is the youth, women should be the equal part of development. The way I pushed my limits in adventure sports & reached the highest altitudes & glaciers on my mountain bike, I urge young girls & women to tap their potential & be resilient for the equal representation of women in all professional fields.
Because ‘nobody can win by leaving half of the team off the playground’!! Let’s grow stronger together!!”
11. Abdullah Siddique
Siddiqui, the next-generation talent, who shot to fame in 2019 after track Resistance on Nescafe Basement’s Season 5 was taken by storm when he announced the achievement on Instagram.
Siddiqui began producing English-language electronic music at the age of 11 and started releasing it as an independent artist when he was 16.
Abdullah told Pakistan Observer “I’ve only been working as a musician for a few years, during which time I’ve seen tremendous highs and lows. It’s been tough at times, but I’ve also got the opportunity to do what I love and have my listeners attend to my work. I’ve worked with the most incredible people on the most incredible projects. I’m so grateful for this accolade as a recognition of how far I’ve come. I hope it signals where I’m going in the coming year. I hope to continue to put out my own independent music and take it in artistic directions it’s never gone in before, and I also hope to work on a larger scale to affect change in the creative landscape of the industry.”
12. Zahra Khan
The 29-year-old is among the honorees selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe List in the retail and E-commerce category. The chef and mother of two, Zahra runs Feya cafes and shops.
Aiming at expanding Feya’s retail network, the chef wants to create 400 jobs for women and promote women empowerment. The graduate of iconic Gordon Ramsay’s Tante Marie Culinary Academy said that she is the first and only Pakistani-origin woman to go to this institution.
13. Hammad Safi
Hammad Safi, a ten-year-old boy from Momand, formerly identified as (Momand Agency )(FATA), is a bright young man who has wowed us with his vision of a well-educated Pakistan. He has received the titles of “Youngest Teacher,” “Freelancer,” “Inspirational and Motivational Speaker,” “TV Anchor,” and “Editor” so far.
Hammad Safi, the student head of the ‘supper kids program (SKP) at the University of Spoken English & Computer Sciences, has been under the watchful eye of instructors and mentors who have been assisting him in learning more quickly. This boy, who believes in Allama Iqbal’s concepts and philosophy, gives the audience goosebumps and leaves them with hallucinations as he talks.
Hammad Safi began his career as a supper kids student at USECS, where his exceptional abilities were noticed and cultivated by his professors. According to his professors, he enjoys learning and wants to do something new in a smart and simple way. With the “I Can Do” mentality, he has a light in his eyes that is plainly apparent. He has a vision of the ONE, Powerful, AND EDUCATED PAKISTAN, which he welcomes. With 900k+ active fans on social media, he has worked hard for it, appearing at several national and foreign conferences and capturing the public’s attention.
14. Zara Dar
Zara Naeem is a bright Pakistani student who has made her country proud by globally achieving the highest score in the ACCA exams held in December 2020. She was a top student during her academic career and consistently exceeded her parents’ wishes. Her father was a military officer.
Zara comes from a Kashmiri family and is an extrovert who enjoys socializing. She maintains an Instagram account where she posts makeup tutorials. Zara is Aleem Dar’s niece, a former cricketer.
15. Rehmat Ajmal
Born and raised in Lahore, Rehmat continued her studies at the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore after completing her A’ Levels, graduating with a degree in textile design in 2018. She earned honors in NCA and was the best in her department.
During her second year at NCA, Ajmal was confronted by an instructor who encouraged her to pursue modeling. After that, she started to appear in various brands’ marketing ads.
Ajmal had also done worldwide campaigns and shoots by the time she was in her senior year of college. Rehmat is working on expanding her acting resume in addition to her modeling job. She has appeared in two music videos by Pakistani singer Ali Sethi, Dil Lagaayein, and Dil ki Khair.
Ajmal has talked of her love of acting on many occasions, and she has shown involvement in both commercial and art film productions. Ajmal is also the creator of Rehstore, a clothing and home decor website. Mahira Khan, a Pakistani star, praised Ajmal’s work on social media, praising her hand-painted sari designs.
16. Hajra Khan
Hajra Khan was born in Karachi, Pakistan, on December 29, 1993. Khan’s ambition was to be a professional athlete, though not a footballer. As she was searching for a provincial team, she was discovered by Diya W.F.C. coach Sadia Sheikh. Khan made her DWFC debut at the age of 14 and scored nine goals in three contests, earning her the tournament’s Top Scorer title.
She captured the Misha Dawood Trophy with Diya W.F.C. during the 2010 National Women Football Championship.
She agreed to quit Diya in January 2014 and join Balochistan United. Khan and Balochistan United captured the Pakistani women’s football championship in 2014, with Khan scoring the game’s only goal against former team Diya in the match. She then declined an invitation to compete in the FAM Women’s Football Championship for Maldivian team Sun Hotels and Resorts FC.
Khan spent a month in Germany in the summer of 2015, attending pre-season trials for four different teams. Owing to visa problems, she was unwilling to consider a relocation offer from MSV Duisburg. She became the first and only Pakistani player to reach the century mark in her club career. On May 24, 2015, she became a member of the Sun Hotels and Resorts Maldives club. Hajra is currently playing Pakistan Army.
Khan was named to Pakistan’s national team for the 2010 South Asian Games in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2009. The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) picked Khan for a FIFA women’s football coaching course in Colombo, Sri Lanka, following her involvement in this case. She helped Pakistan enter the semi-finals of the inaugural SAFF Women’s Championship in December 2010.
Hajra Khan, a 21-year-old midfielder for the Pakistani national women’s football team, made history when she was invited to play for the top three German football teams, SGS Essen, FSV Gütersloh 2009, and VfL Sindelfingen. She spent three weeks there and participated in preseason trials. The chance, she said, was a significant turning point in her career as a Pakistani international footballer.
In 2014, she became the first Pakistani woman to sign an international contract to play in the Maldives National Women’s League with Sun Hotels & Resorts Football Club.
17. Maria Toorpakai Wazir
With Pashtun blood coursing through her veins, Wana Maria Toorpakay Wazir, the brave child of Wana Maria Toorpakay Wazir, grew beyond all stereotypes to indulge her love for squash. Maria used to play with her brothers on the streets of her volatile hometown while disguised as a boy.
Despite death attacks from extremists, she worked tirelessly to fulfill her desire to play squash. Today, the player has won the Nash Cup’s first-ever women’s event, the Southwest Squash Open, and the Liberty Bell Open. She is currently ranked 47th in the world.
18. Samina Baig
Samina Khayal Baig, the world’s youngest woman, and Pakistan’s first brave girl is turning her childhood dream of scaling mountains into a full-fledged living truth.
The mountaineer has climbed Mount McKinley, Mount Elbrus, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, Mount Vinson, and Mount Everest to dizzying heights. Baig, who is adamant about achieving her dream, continues to host the green flag on icy peaks to show the world that Pakistani women are unrivaled in every sector.
19. Imaan Qureshi
Imaan Qureshi began playing tennis at the age of ten. Her love for the sport grew quickly.
She was well aware that women in her part of the world did not play a prominent role in this activity, so she worked tirelessly to ensure that everybody was aware of her participation. In Asia’s under 14 championships, she was ranked eighth.
Another of her accomplishments, among many others, was winning the National Women’s Cup at the age of 11 and representing Pakistan at the international Fed Cup in Kazakhstan in 2013 and an Indian tournament in 2015.
20. Hina Sikandar
Dr. Hina Sikander, a 27-year-old bureaucrat from Sialkot who is currently posted in Islamabad, is a young bureaucrat from Sialkot.
She went on to pass the CSS exams after finishing her dentistry. She emerged during her house job and changed her profession from doctor to civil servant. Her favorite quotation goes something like this: It’s never too late to be at who you might have become. She wishes to have led an influential life because she does not want to die thinking that her presence will be easily substituted, leaving little reputation or influence. She aspires to succeed enough in life to be regarded with reverence, inspiration, and pride in the future. She preaches peace and compassion as a solution for modern depravity and cynicism, in addition to all of the above. Only faith, she says, can overcome depression, and only determination can boost morale. She credits her performance to her self-assurance and polished communication skills, and she sees procrastination as a flaw.
While speaking to Pakistan Observer, Hina said, “I am just another girl who started off from a small village of Sialkot. Each and every step I took was backed by the support and confidence of my parents and family. I believe if your parents tell you that you are unique, it does wonders. The trajectory from dentistry to bureaucracy has been surprisingly interesting. Moreover, having a public profile on social media opened a vast platform for me to interact with a multitude of people. And if, via this platform, I get to help even one person, I will be content!
In the end, I would want every reader to focus on the following words: RESPECT YOURSELF & YOUR TIME!”
21. Momina Mustehan
Momina Mustehsan is a poet, songwriter, guitarist, mathematician, and social activist from Pakistan. She was called one of the 100 most prominent women by the BBC in 2017, and Forbes included her, along with nine other Pakistanis, on the “30 Under 30” Asia list the following year. She won critical acclaim for her rendition of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s “Afreen Afreen” with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in season 9. The singles “Aaya Na Tu” (2018) and “Baari” (2019) by Mustehsan topped the country’s charts. In November 2020, her song Uchiyaan Dewara (Baari 2) topped the Official Asian Top 40 Charts.
Mustehsan performs in stage shows, is a popular celebrity endorser for companies and goods, and is involved in charity work in addition to her music career. She advocates for a variety of causes, including education and mental wellbeing, and is especially outspoken on topics including the status of women in Pakistan and feminism.
22. Karishma Ali
Karishma Ali is a footballer who is the first female from her hometown of Chitral, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, to represent Pakistan at both the national and international levels. Ali was a member of the first Pakistani women’s team to compete in the Australian Football League International Cup in 2017, and she played Pakistan at the Jubilee Games in Dubai in 2016. She also established the Chitral Women’s Sports Club.
She was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List in 2019, a list of young people selected for their creativity and entrepreneurship. When Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean partnered with craftswomen from a handicraft center Ali created to produce designs combining cultural elements from Chitral and Kalash, Ali walked the runway at Milan Fashion Week in 2019.
23. Rida Zahara Naqvi
Rida Zahra Naqvi is a Pakistani beauty influencer who has just recently entered social media, but her adorable personality and makeup skills have already won her fans. She is also the first Pakistani make-up artist with Down’s Syndrome, but she has never let her disability stand in the way of her abilities or her aspirations.
Since posting make-up tips on her Instagram page, Rida has accrued over 60K fans. In only a few hours after posting her first beauty tutorial, she had 800,000 views. A-list celebrities like Sadaf Kanwal, Ayesha Omar, and Xarnish Khan praised her bubbly personality and makeup skills in the comments section.
24. Zymal Umar
Zymal Umar, nine years old, is the creator of Zee Bags, an inspirational social enterprise that not only helps the underprivileged but also the community. In an effort to rid the cities of plastic bags in her beautiful city of Sargodha, Zymal began producing reusable bags out of old newspapers. Zymal remembered a three-year-old shopping trip with her parents that sparked the concept. She was taken over by sadness and concerns on the negative repercussions of plastic waste when she was distracted by the sight of plastic bags on the sidewalks. Then, by chance, her eye was drawn to a shopkeeper who was giving out newspaper bags to his clients. Zymal was so moved by the concept that he wanted to act to create the necessary transition. Since then, Zymal has sold hundreds of bags and used the profits to purchase imported goods for SOS village’s underprivileged children as well as make donations to other charitable organizations.
25. Ania Fawad
Ania Fawad was born in San Francisco, California, on July 23, 1993, at the age of 27. She works as a stylist for celebrities. Fawad also renders her expertise as an accomplished fashion blogger. She has over 60,000 Instagram fans and runs a beauty site where she shares insider fashion tips and tricks. She’s even done some stuff with Marc Jacobs’ fashion line.
26. Mehak Gul
Mehak Gul is a chess player from Pakistan. At the 42nd Chess Olympiad, she was appointed Woman Candidate Master. She is the youngest Pakistani to hold this role. In addition, she holds the world record for setting up a chessboard in 45 seconds.
Gull began playing chess at the age of six. In June 2012, she was placed third and fifth at the Punjab Chess Championship and the National Chess Championship, respectively. She first competed in an international chess event at the age of twelve, when she represented Pakistan at the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, where she was coached by her father. She participated in the 42nd Chess Olympiad, which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Gul was named World Woman Candidate Master after winning six of her eleven matches. In November 2016, she competed in the Little Master Chess Tournament for her school and stood third.
27. Urooj Fatima
The 13-year-old Urooj Fatima made headlines when she sang a duet with the music maestro Ali Zafar at the age of 12. The young singer hails from Balochistan and Ali Zafar collaborated with her to sing a rendition of the famous folk song ‘Laila o Laila. The song was an instant hit and people were amazed to see a 12-year-old with such strong vocals.
28. Laraib Rahim
Laraib Rahim, a makeup artist, and a fashion blogger has made quite a name for herself in the realm of content creation. She has a page on Instagram where she creates a variety of looks while rendering her skills as a makeup artist. Laraib has a significant following of 417K on Instagram which makes her one of the most followed bloggers on the picture-sharing platform.
Laraib’s profile is a delight, and her beauty tips are amazing. When it comes to content development, the presentation is always meticulous. This is where Laraib Rahim shines—her Instagram page is one of the most aesthetically appealing on the platform, and she’s known as one of the best-up-and-coming makeup artists in the country.
29. Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has been a pioneer for women’s education in Pakistan and continues to fly across the world to ensure that her voice is heard for this cause. The Malala Fund, which lives up to its tag, is a beacon of hope for hundreds, if not thousands, of Pakistani girls in rural areas. She serves as the fund’s advisor, ensuring that the capital is sent to the right location at the right moment.
She has taken a strong stand against the current injustice of women who are denied access to a decent education; most specifically, she has emerged as a symbol of optimism, transformation, and motivation for the betterment of women in Pakistan.
Malala aims to work for a better future for Pakistan, and we hope that she remains dedicated to her goal so that the illiteracy problem in Pakistan’s north is quickly addressed as a result of her efforts.
Malala has been carrying out her goal since 2012, and with her recent achievement of becoming the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, TechJuice stands by her and honors her with a place on this list in appreciation of her dedication, courage, and determination.
30. Bilal Bin Saqib
Bilal Bin Saqib is a marketing specialist, entrepreneur, and ardent business problem solver residing in London, United Kingdom. He is the founder of BBS & Co., a digital product firm headquartered in the United Kingdom, and a graduate of the London School of Economics. He was also named to Forbes’ list of Asia’s 30 Under 30 – Class of 2020.
Bilal Bin Saqib is the founder of Tayaba, a social organization that seeks to address Pakistan’s water crisis. The ‘H2O wheel,’ a plastic wheel container attached to a metal bar that lets women and children bear water for miles per day in rural Pakistan, is one of its projects. The wheel will handle up to 40 liters of water, which is eight to ten times more than a mud pot (which has historically been used to transport water).
Team Bilal Bin Saqib shared further information with Pakistan Observer stating that “Bilal Bin Saqib and his passion project Tayaba.org may have been recently recognized by Forbes Asia 30 under 30 list, but this initiative actually came into existence in 2016. The inspiration for Tayaba Organization’s “Help 2 Others” (H2O) wheel was derived while Bilal was in Burkina Faso in 2016. There, he came across rollers used by women and got a vivid visual of far greater struggles that rural women and children in Pakistan were severely affected. It also made him recall a popular saying that his mentor-his mother Tayaba would always tell him, “Bilal, the best charity/gift is giving someone water to drink”. This resonated with him so deeply that it culminated in the Tayaba organization’s vision to support and alleviate the plight of the water-deprived communities in Pakistan. Tayaba offers an intervention model; the ‘H2O wheel’. To date, Tayaba has successfully distributed H2O wheels in Tharparkar, Thatta (Sindh), Jacobabad, outskirts of Lahore, and southern Balochistan while expanding the project to other areas both local and international wherever the demand and need are observed and reported. Post the COVID-19 lockdown, Tayaba extended help to areas in dire need identified including Pishin in Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan. The project has positively impacted the social, infrastructural, economic, health, and educational conditions of the water-deprived communities.’
