#37: Fariel Salahuddin on Innovating the Bartering Economy for the 21st Century

About Episode:

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Fariel Salahuddin, the founder and CEO of UpTrade, a bartering service that enables rural communities in Pakistan to exchange livestock for solar-powered water pumps and solar home systems. Over 40% of Pakistan lives off the grid and without lights in their homes and electricity to pump water, women can spend up to four hours a day fetching water from distant wells.

The BBC calls UpTrade a solution for the desert and after listening to this conversation, you'll understand why. Fariel is both a 2021 TED fellow and a 2019 finalist with Cartier's Women's Initiative.

In this episode, this World Bank consultant turned self-described goat herder shares her vision for an inclusive economy that values more than just fiat currency.

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In the episode:

– Fariel begins the conversation describing how UpTrade works and the ways she gets off-grid, rural communities to opt into bartering their goats for solar water pumps and solar home systems.

– She then shares what inspired her to start UpTrade and how her model is based on community and self agency versus traditional charity focused interventions.

– Fariel then describes her vision for tech-enabled marketplaces that are not bound by fiat currency.

– Fariel ends the episode sharing her vision for rural, unbanked communities to be able to participate in the mainstream economy using the resources they have.

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