Ali Saif

Activist, Environmentalist, Student

Hi! I'm Ali, I am from Lahore, Pakistan. I am currently doing my A Levels from Aitchison College. My hobbies include, volunteering, activism and using Technology for Social Good ( also known as ICTD ). I am a huge nerd when it comes to Computer Sciences, and have been coding since I was in diapers. All my life, I have been conflicted between two of my greatest passions, community service and Computer Science, but recently I found a link between, something to bridge my two worlds and that is using Information Communications Technology ( ICT ) for social good and development, this field is known as ICTD. It allows me to still pursue my passion in CS, while also bringing radical change to my community. That's what eventually led me to find ClimateDost, and head the climate change aspect of Milkar. Other than that, I enjoy Athletics, and am a proud member of my College Athletics Team. One of my niche interests is robotics. I enjoy it so much, I made an AI powered Autonomous car, which won me a gold medal at the Pakistan National World Robot Olympiad. That led me to Vice-Captain my team to the World Robot Olympiad Finals held in Panama City, and eventually qualified top 5, the highest in Pakistan’s history.

Volunteering has become a huge part of my life recently. It all started with a neighbourhood cleanup event at school. At first, I wasn't sure how picking up trash would make a difference, but seeing how happy it made people passing by totally changed my perspective. Since then, I've been hooked. Whether it's helping out at the animal shelter, serving meals at a soup kitchen, or tutoring younger kids after school, each experience leaves a mark. One of my favorites was volunteering at the animal shelter. I bonded with this shy dog, Max, who finally found a loving home after months of waiting. It felt amazing to know I helped him find happiness. Volunteering isn't just about giving back; it's about connecting with people and making a real impact. It's taught me so much about empathy and the power of kindness. Plus, I've made some awesome friends who share my passion for making a difference. Looking ahead, I know volunteering will always be a big part of my life. It's not just about doing good; it's about living a life where I can help others and make our community better. Whether it's organising events, raising awareness, or just lending a hand, I'm excited to keep making a difference, one volunteer gig at a time. Like we say at Milkar, “ What's not possible alone, is possible together.”

In the world of behavioural economics, the concept of "nudging" is like a magical little push that helps people make better choices without taking away their freedom. Imagine if small changes in how options are presented could lead to better decisions. That’s what a nudge does. Many people forget or don't know how to save money for when they’re older. By automatically signing up employees for retirement savings plans, but letting them opt-out if they want, more people end up saving money. It's a gentle push towards a smart choice. Nudges can also make us healthier. For example, putting healthy foods at eye level in the cafeteria makes people more likely to pick them. Sending reminders to take medicine can help patients stay on track with their treatments. These little nudges make a big difference. For the environment, nudges are awesome too. Putting recycling bins in easy-to-see places makes people recycle more. Showing how much energy an appliance uses can make people choose more efficient ones. These small changes help protect our planet. But nudges aren’t just some way to trick people into eating more vegetables, it has world changing uses too, what if you nudge people towards getting vaccinated, or towards wearing a mask during a pandemic, these nudges can often change lives. Some worry that nudging is like tricking people, but it’s not about taking away choices. It’s about helping people make better ones by arranging options in a smart way. By gently guiding people towards better decisions, we can create a healthier, wealthier, and more sustainable world. This tiny push can make a huge difference for everyone.

Most people think my TED story starts at TEDxYouth@AitchisonCollege, but the truth is, it starts a long time before that. My TED story starts about 10 years ago, when I first clicked on a TED Ed animated video. I remember waking up every morning to watch a short video, with topics all the way from Norse Mythology to CRISPR. I found these short, easy to understand, animated videos addicting and would often spend hours watching them. I have understood very complex concepts such as CRISPR or Axioms, while also learning about stories of Norse, Greek, Indian and Egyptian Mythology. When I was given the opportunity to be a part of TEDxYouth@AitchisonCollege, I was beyond excited. For me, It was a merging of two worlds that I loved, TED and Aitchison. Through TEDxAC, I was able to tell batchmates and juniors about TEDx, TED Ed and TED in general, things that are sadly unknown to most Pakistanis. I plan to continue this TED story, with more TEDx events and giving a few TED Talks, and watching a lot more TED Ed videos!

People don’t know I’m good at writing. For as long as I remember, I have always been an arithmetic, science centered person, but a few years ago I discovered a new skill, the skill to write really good english essays and stories. I’m not the most avid book reader, nor am I an english poetry fanatic, but I always enjoyed writing. I didn’t take this skill seriously, until a few years ago I got a subject prize in English for an essay I wrote about a monster. The essay was supposed to be written on the topic, “ I looked into the mirror and I saw a monster”. Almost everyone wrote about a literal, fictional monster but I decided to take a slightly different approach. I wrote about a person, who was so convoluted by his suicidal thoughts that he thought of himself as a monster. My teacher found this very impressive, especially since I was 12 at the time. As years passed and the complexity of English in my curriculum increased, so did my passion for it. I won prize after prize in a skill I never really paid attention to, nor one I asked for. For a while, I was distraught, I was always supposed to be the STEM kid, who was supposed to be great at arithmetic and sciences, one who was supposed to win a Nobel, not a Pulitzer. As I grow older, I realize that I don’t need to be a STEM kid, nor do I need to be a kid Journalism, I just need to be me, the kid who can solve partial differential equations right after writing a great fiction novel, and who knows, maybe I'll be the first person to win both a Nobel and a Pulitzer?