KARACHI: For the first time in Pakistan’s history, female engineers have successfully installed a 24-kilowatt solar system on the roof of the Hussaini Orphanage in Karachi.
With hands-on support from KfW DEG Impulse and Develop, five exceptional Ladies Fund engineers – Areeba Rashid, Iman Batool, Farhan Anjum, Muskan Iqbal and Rahemeen Haider Ali – completed the installation, becoming the first women in Pakistan’s history to be paid. solar roof work. They are now recognized as official installers for Ladies Fund Energy.
This achievement was part of Ladies Fund Energy’s initiative to empower women engineers in Pakistan. Certified female engineers trained at NED University completed the installation, which included six lithium batteries, the first ever solar rooftop installation by women in the country.
A project led by Dawood Global Foundation (DGF) in collaboration with Ladies Fund Energy Pvt. Ltd., was designed to integrate women into the energy sector. The training of 28 female engineers from NED University was supported by KfW and Develop, with the female team taking on the role of interns and installers to complete the solar installation at the orphanage.
Dr. Mohsin Aman provided an internationally acclaimed “Solar Roof Installation” training at NED University, while Ladies Fund Energy designed a high-quality solar roof specifically for the orphanage. The success of this project met with overwhelming interest as 86 female engineers were enrolled in the course. DGF plans to extend this training to girls from interior Sindh in the next phase.
Tara Azra Dawood, CEO of Ladies Fund Energy, highlighted the dual purpose of the initiative, which is to train and recruit female engineers for the Ladies Fund while positioning them as key players in the wider energy sector. She called for more participation to improve the representation of women in the field and contribute to a greener Pakistan, expressing gratitude to Hussaini Orphanage for entrusting women engineers with this important task.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who attended the ceremony as the chief guest, expressed pride in the dynamic women engineers of Karachi and recognized them as pioneer installers of Ladies Fund Energy. He also promised to provide land and funds to train 100 women engineers at NED University through DGF, in collaboration with the government and KMC, and gave Ladies Fund Energy an opportunity to tender for solarisation of KMC buildings.
