Pakistan Claims First Prize at the One Young World Dublin

Pakistan has won first prize at the Rwanga Social Startup Competition, which was held at the fifth One Young World summit in Dublin.

Khizr Imran Tajammul represented Pakistan and presented his idea for researching and manufacturing affordable energy solutions for low income communities. His idea taps into the potential of solar energy in Pakistan and helps make solar energy solutions more accessible to the lowest common denominator.

According to Tajammul, solar water heating has great potential in a country like Pakistan. Greenhouse technology as opposed to evacuation tubes (used in most conventional solar water heaters) can prove more efficient and affordable and therefore has potential for fast adoption across the country.

Tajammul has established an organization with his friends, ‘Jaan Pakistan’, to launch support and further explore this initiative. As prize money, Jaan Pakistan has received USD 20,000 which will help with the organization’s plans to venture into prototype development at the end of 2014. Jaan Pakistan is also collaborating with international manufacturers and technology giants to fine tune the design for their first product – the solar water heater.

One Young World, established in 2009, is a UK-based not-for-profit organization that helps bring together the brightest young people across the world together and empowers them to make lasting connections to create positive change.

This year the conference was attended by a series of established global leaders such as Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson, Sir Bob Geldof, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Paul Polman, Doug Richard, Jimmy Wales, Former Latin American Presidents, Sol Campbell, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Martin Pollock, Hans Reitz, Professor Meghan ‘O Sullivan and Meghan Markle.