Hamza founded the Solar Water Project, a social enterprise that addresses the clean water crisis by providing communities with an affordable all-in-one water pump and filtration system called the OASIS Box.
The Solar Water Project began in July 2014, inspired by Hamza’s desire to make a difference after contracting Typhoid fever from unsafe drinking water. The organisation works by identifying communities in need of water infrastructure and installing the OASIS Box, a container holding an advanced water filtration device and solar panel that powers easily accessible taps. It takes just 30 minutes to set up and is built to last 25 years.
Throughout 2025, the Solar Water Project focused on transitioning from a traditional philanthropic model to a scalable social enterprise by launching Pakistan’s first climate-driven water programme. By leveraging the OASIS Box technology, the project began measuring and verifying carbon offsets generated by reducing the community’s reliance on burning woody biomass for water purification. This year, the project completed 294 installations, including expanding the enterprise into Kenya. Cumulatively, this has provided clean water and sanitation to 513,660 people in Pakistan and 105,250 people in Kenya.
After winning the Lead2030 Challenge sponsored by Reckitt in 2024, Hamza used the $50,000 grant to fund the critical 2025 development of his Climate Finance programme. The mentorship from Reckitt’s Rowan Spazzoli and Philipp Küst proved instrumental during this period, as they assisted in ‘stress-testing’ the project’s scalability and helping Hamza connect with social impact investment platforms. By the end of 2025, this partnership moved the organisation toward a market-based model, allowing it to begin canvassing the network for corporate social responsibility partners and investors interested in purchasing carbon credits to fund further clean water access.
“As young innovators, we’re all out there trying to do our best. But what’s most helpful is when somebody is able to take a bird’s eye view of where we can add value. My mentors Rowan and Philipp have been great in that regard. They’ve also connected us with a social impact investment programme.”
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