Pakistani social entrepreneur wins Commonwealth Youth Award

Out of 500 award nominations around the world, a Pakistani social entrepreneur Hafiz Usama Tanveer won the Commonwealth Youth Award for his exceptional contributions in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan.

The awards were presented during a gathering at the Commonwealth headquarters in London where winning candidates received a £3,000 grant for expanding projects in their respective regions, according to an official statement issued by the Common Wealth Secretariat on Thursday.

Two Pakistanis shortlisted for Commonwealth Youth Awards

Tanveer – the founder of social enterprise ‘Pak Vitae’ that produces and supplies water treatment products to provide clean and accessible drinking water to rural communities and refugee camps in Pakistan – receives the honour in the Clean Water and Sanitation category.

Winners awarded a £3,000 grant for expanding projects in their respective regions. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Reaching out to more than 11,000 people including victims of India's Kerala flooding that occurred in the past two years, the young entrepreneur said: “This award is an encouragement to continue on this trajectory to reach more people and to make water non-exclusive.”

Alongside Tanveer, another Pakistani Jaya Rajwani was also shortlisted for the same award. Rajwani, who is the technical lead for ‘Aurat Raaj’ – a social enterprise which creates technology-based products and services to educate girls on health, hygiene and safety– was in the category of Gender Equality.

Other winners belong to Fiji, Canada and Uganda where they are running their successful social enterprises for the betterment of their regional communities.