Why The Recognition Of Pakistanis In The Forbes 30 Under 30 List Is Important
The youth in Pakistan is a force to be reckoned with and since as per the UNDP currently 64% of the population is under the age of 30. That is a huge number! However, the picture isn’t all sunshiney and positive since as per recent studies and reports, the rates of depression and anxiety in the youth of our nation are rapidly increasing with a prediction that “Depression has been predicted to rise to
second rank in both genders by 2020.”
This is an alarming statistic but what else can be expected when the rate of university graduates increases each year but graduates spend years searching for basic entry level jobs in their respective fields. This epidemic of unemployment seems to have hit the medical and engineering professions most, this added with the intense pressure of performing well due to increased competition has led to many a horrible suicide story springing up.
Harrowing cases such as these, however, by no means relay the message that there are not those among us who rise up against all odds and do wonders not only within the country but also on international platforms. Whether it is inspiring women like Kanwal Ahmad and Nadia Patel who made the country proud by being selected for Facebook’s first ever Community Leadership Program or child geniuses such as Muhammad Rayyan Siddiqui who became the world’s youngest Google certified Associate Android Developer at the mere age of 13, our youth has a lot to offer.
Which is why it is absolutely imperative that we pay some serious attention to the five Pakistanis and one Pakistani start up that recently made it to the esteemed Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list for 2019. Not only have these innovators in their respective fields made the country proud by giving us some much needed representation the world over, but they have also brought positive change and improvements to the lives of countless Pakistanis.
Which is why we’re about to walk you through the accomplishments of these brilliant entrepreneurs and change makers who serve as an inspiration to all of us!
First on the list is Karishma Ali who is lauded as “the only female football player from her hometown playing national and international club level,” in the publication. Hailing from Chitral, this 21 year old football player has set a new standard for little girls and boys all over the country. She not only represented her country in the Jubilee Games in Dubai but also is behind the Chitral Women’s Sports Club.
Zain Ashraf Mughal is next and this 28 year old is a fine example of what hard work and dedication can achieve. He is the CEO and founder of Pakistan’s first ever crowdfunding platform called Seed Out that is non-profit and has helped over 600 entrepreneurs much like Ashraf himself. The aim is simple; to lift other deserving Pakistanis out of poverty and since it’s inception in 2015, it has raised an astounding rupees 90,000 per person approximately.
Roshni Rides is a team of four dedicated individuals with a common goal; to provide safe and affordable commute to women across the nation. Hanaa Lakhani, Moneeb Mian, Hasan Usmani and Gia Farooqi are behind this groundbreaking transport service and as per Forbes, “The four co-founders wanted to provide a reliable transportation service for refugees, and their company arranges affordable rickshaw rides along designated routes between a refugee camp and common destinations such as markets and hospitals.”
29 year old Laila Kasuri who is a water analyst with Global Green Growth Investment’s Policy Solutions Division according to Forbes, “has led research at organisations such as the World Bank, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences on climate-smart irrigation, flood risk reduction, and river basin planning.”
Ahmed Rauf Essa has successfully run what Forbes describes as “one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Pakistan, while in business school at the age of 23.” Being the co-founder of Telemart, now 27 year old Essa deals with and caters to a whopping 500 plus online merchants.
Last but definitely not least on our list is 29 year old Zainab Bibi who has made strides in the field of renewable energy and resources as the founder of Pakistan Society for Green Energy since 2013. As per the publication, “Since its founding, the company has successfully developed a bio-fuel from waste tissue paper, and introduced Camelina Sativa, a drought-resistant plant that can be made into bio-diesel.”
