After a successful year for Technology and Entrepreneurship, Pakistan’s talent is onto an early start for a confident ingress to 2015. In the recognition for the efforts and commitment of the young local entrepreneur, Fiza Farhan, distinguished US magazine Forbes has inducted her into its yearly list of 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs 2015.
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Fiza Farhan is the Director of Buksh Energy Pvt. Ltd. and co-founding CEO of Buksh Foundation, a microfinance institute that specializes in providing clean energy solutions to rural and far-flung areas of Pakistan. The foundation has, so far, trained 135 women in energy entrepreneurship domain and brought clean, solar-power-based energy to over 6,000 households. The foundation has also extended clean energy business loans to over 12,000 entrepreneurs. A few names from the long list of Buksh Foundation collaborators/partners include Imran Khan Foundation (IKF), TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), Deutsche Bank NY, UBL, and Ufone.
Fiza Farhan’s list of achievements goes a long way into the past as well. Earlier last year, she was presented with the title of co-chairperson of the Italian Development Committee – Lahore Chapter following a collaboration between Buksh Foundation and the IDC. Later the same year, Ms. Farhan was nominated a “Global Future Energy Leader” by World Energy Council in recognition of ‘her efforts for the growth of Renewable-Energy sector in Pakistan’.
Fiza Farhan’s other accolades include ‘Commitment to Microfinance Professionalism’, ‘Micro Entrepreneurship Award: Overcoming Diversity’, and ‘Women in Business: Architects of Change’ awards in 2010 from/at Hanson-Wade, Citi-PPAF, and Wibcon respectively.
Previously, prominent Pakistani women who made it to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List include Malala Yousufzai — the Nobel Peace Prize-winning education activist, Shiza Shahid — the cofounder of Malala Fund, and Khalida Brohi — founder of Sughar, a nonprofit established with the aim of empowering women by training them in different arts and crafts.
