Somaya Faruqi, Afghan Refugee, Captain Girls Robotics Team

Somaya Faruqi is the former Captain of the Afghan Girls’ Robotic Team – nicknamed the ‘Afghan Dreamers’.  She and her team made international headlines when they built a ventilator from used car parts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan. Faruqi was born in Herat, Afghanistan in 2002. She cultivated her love of engineering in her father’s mechanic shop. Her high school career was cut short by the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. She and the rest of her teammates had to flee the country in August 2021.Currently an engineering student, Faruqi has received several awards over her career, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2021, BBC’s 100 Women in 2020, and the 2017 Silver Medal for Courageous Achievement at the FIRST Global Challenge – in recognition of science and technology in the US. She is a Global Champion in the UN’s Education Cannot Wait Program.