Raised as a Pakistani American, Sonny understands the unique privileges he carries, compared to the daily struggles his family and community existing in Pakistan.
Raised as a Pakistani American, Sonny understands the unique privileges he carries, compared to the daily struggles his family and community existing in Pakistan.
At age 13, his father had a stroke which sparked his drive to want to be successful and make his family proud. This event forced him to quickly grow up, as he realised that things can be taken away from you in an instant.
During his second year at university in 2017, Sonny, along with other Pakistani-American students, founded Paani Project; an organisation that tackles Pakistan’s lack of secure access to clean water.
The group has grown from Sonny and his roommate selling doughnuts on campus to fund Paani Project’s first well, to raising over $3.1 million from over 20,000 donors. To date, they have built over 9,300 water wells that serve more than 700,000 villagers.
Paani Project has also donated $500,000 in medical supplies to COVID-19 clinics, distributed over one million meals, and built schools for refugees while galvanising thousands of youths globally through community-based awareness.
Through the years leading Paani Project, Sonny has taken ownership of his activities, building leadership skills and confidence he previously did not have.
