Bartering Goats in Rural Pakistan
“We’re so proud to have been able to create a system that truly enables vulnerable communities to sustain themselves and in creating a lasting social impact in Pakistan today.”
UpTrade is a Pakistan-based social enterprise that aims to improve the lives of vulnerable rural communities through a unique bartering finance mechanism using goats. Yes, goats.
Imagine rural communities in Pakistan with little to no cash, and fewer means for economic opportunity and a sustained livelihood except rearing livestock and limited agriculture. These rural communities live in stark, remote areas that are off-grid; with no access to electricity and water for miles around.
UpTrade’s flagship Goats for Water program empowers these communities by allowing them to trade their livestock to purchase small solar grids, water pumps and, soon, drip irrigation systems. Communities save up to $250 in diesel costs for the generators they previously used to pump water. And, women and young village girls no longer spend countless hours a day collecting water from distant wells. Instead, they have more time for school, economic opportunities, and leisure.
UpTrade has connected 32,200 people in rural communities in Pakistan with solar and water systems.
The next phase of UpTrade’s work involves connecting the communities with drip irrigation systems to grow their own crops; and enabling them to use livestock as currency to purchase smartphones and microgrids.
The bartering finance system using goats works because rural communities band together to collectively barter 15-20 goats in order to purchase the assets UpTrade offers.
UpTrade has connected 6000 rural livestock farmers with direct access to markets.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdown of the economy, farmers have lost access to traditional physical markets. UpTrade is scaling rapidly to meet this market gap by enabling the farmers to access the market using an UpTrade app, which over time will also remove market inefficiencies and provide sustainable connections to the market.
After goats are bartered, UpTrade sells the livestock to companies, exporters, grocery chains, and individual buyers both outside and in Pakistan for Eid Qurbani, Zakat, Sadqa, and Aqeeqa occasions.
For more information on how to gift a goat for a special occasion, visit UpTrade.