Social entrepreneur Shah Rafayat Chowdhury, 24, has won the 2020 AFS Prize for Young Global Citizens, becoming the first Bangladeshi to receive the award.
Rafayat was given the award for Project Trishna, a social venture to empower communities through access to safe water and ensure safe water as a basic right for all. Project Trishna is a key initiative of NGO Footsteps Bangladesh, of which Rafayat is co-founder and president.
The AFS Prize for Young Global Citizens includes a $10,000 cash prize to help the efforts of Project Trishna, according to media reports.
Project Trishna has empowered over 75,000 people with safe water access in 53 communities across Dhaka, Tangail and Chittagong, including 14,000 children in 42 schools, said the AFS website.
Rafayat was one of two Bangladeshis among the 10 finalists for the award. The other Bangladeshi finalist was Manoshi Saha Tuli for the project Narir Chokhe Bangladesh.
The other finalists were Ananya Chhaochharia from India, Ashley Lin from the US, Edgar Tarimo from Tanzania, Elizabeth Nalugemwa and Johnmary Kavuma from Uganda, Kehkashan Basu from Canada, Michael Murigi from Kenya and Poornima Meegammana from Sri Lanka.
Each of the finalists’ projects looked to address one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS).
The AFS Prize for Young Global Citizens recognizes the recipient for their commitment to improving the global community and contributing to a more just, peaceful, and tolerant world.
Candidates for the award must be under the age of 30 as of October 22 this year, and in charge of a successful project that is currently running or completed between January 2018 and January 2020.