Campaigning for world leaders to act on climate change since she was 15 years old.
Reyhan grew up in a rural village in Azerbaijan where rain often caused temporary power blackouts. She witnessed how difficult it was for people to live and work in areas where the power supply was unreliable. Eager to help so that no one had to go through this hardship, Reyhan came up with an idea. She started designing and creating a device that produces energy from rainwater. Aware that doing things as a team usually works better than doing them alone, Reyhan joined forces with a friend, Zahra Gasimzade, along with her physics teachers. They spent three months drawing, calculating and testing different prototypes. Four days before presenting their best prototype to a national competition, where they had hoped to get funding, the generator they had built burnt to ashes in front of their eyes. The team turned to two of the country’s leading engineers to ask for help to rebuild the prototype. But they rejected them, saying it was impossible to do in such a short time.
Reyhan wanted to quit. She felt disappointed and overwhelmed. How could the team rebuild what they had done in three months in just four days? But Reyhan realised if it were easy it wouldn’t be worth it. She gathered her team together, staring into their tired, bloodshot eyes and gave the most motivating speech of her life. She powerfully reminded them of how far they had come and how close they were.
As a result, the team decided to rebuild the prototype. They worked for four full days without sleeping and finished the prototype just in time! Their hard work was rewarded when they won the ‘Audience Favourite Startup’ award. RainEnergy is now a real, working product. Reyhan believes in the power of little things, she hopes to ‘light one house up at a time.’
Campaigning for access to clean water for Canada’s indigenous communities since she was 8 years old.
Raising awareness of the effects of the Syrian civil war and calling for peace since she was 6 years old.
Challenging the representation of girls and women in society since she was 11 years old.
Running a marathon in 10 days to raise money for homeless people when he was 7 years old.
Fundraising for the farmers whose incomes have been affected by drought in Australia since he was 11 years old.
Inspiring girls to learn about and aspire to work in science and technology subjects since she was 16 years old.
Creating and growing a bank that helps children save money by recycling since he was 12 years old.
Designing technology to supply electricity and water without emitting greenhouse gases since he was 15 years old.
Campaigning for the banning of plastic bags in Bali since they were 10 and 12 years old.
Designing a solar powered ironing cart to reduce charcoal burning in India since she was 12 years old.
Petitioning for schools to give children reusable water bottles since he was 7 years old.
Campaigning for people and businesses to stop using single-use plastics since they were 10 and 12 years old.
Set up organisations supporting cancer patients, people in poverty, and promoting golf in young black girls, since she was 10 years old.
Saving the lives of hundreds of hedgehogs in the UK since they were 9 years old.
Campaigning to promote proper battery disposal and recycling since he was 10 years old.
Campaigning for people and businesses to stop using single-use plastics since they were 10 and 12 years old.
The world’s youngest sustainability advocate – working to make the world a better place since she was 3 years old.
Solving the problem of water contamination using science and technology since she was 11 years old.
