Bondh-E-Shams Pakistan
Commonwealth Point of Light 129. Hamza Farrukh
Hamza Farrukh, representing Pakistan, is on a mission to solve the global water crisis, starting with his charitable project ‘Bondh-E-Shams’, which is serving 45,000 people across 13 remote Pakistani villages.
Hamza began the charity as a college project in March 2014, focusing on one particular Pakistani village, but was awarded funding alongside his fellow colleagues in Goldman Sachs to set up the charity which has now provided 10 million cups of water to people in remote communities in Pakistan through an environmentally-friendly, solar-powered water extraction and filtration system. Hamza has been named a Forbes 30under30 entrepreneur.
Dr Christian Turner CMG, UK High Commissioner in Pakistan, said:
“Hamza Farrukh has shown exceptional leadership and ingenuity in helping to provide safe drinking water to tens of thousands of Pakistanis. I look forward to congratulating him in person at the British High Commission, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, in Islamabad when he is next in Pakistan.”
Hamza said:
“At Bondh E Shams, we have promised to take on the global water crisis: lack of access to safe water in large swaths of developing nations is symptomatic of the numerous structural disadvantages faced by the global south. My team and I realise the responsibility we have towards the 1.2 billion people who go to bed thirsty each night, and are dedicated to this lifelong fight. Bondh E Shams has leveraged the power of smart-tech and I-o-T in our flagship solution called the “Oasis Box:” a transportable, solar-powered water filtration unit that removes 99.99% of water contamination and can be installed in under a record 7 minutes, anywhere in the world. I dedicate this award to my exceptional team, our partner non-profits and my family who have supported me unconditionally. I find this award as motivation to continue our work and reach thousands more in water-stressed communities – thank you again for this honour!”
Pictured below: Hamza presented with his award by the UK High Commissioner in Pakistan
