When someone has a special love for a region of the world, turning that love into something that creates tangible change isn't easy. But it's worth it. 

Meet Farrukh Lalani, founder of Daria Day. 

Farrukh's journey to social entrepreneurship began almost ten years ago when she left her corporate job to pursue something more fulfilling and joined an international development agency. Her work took her from Syria to Afghanistan to Tajikistan and finally to Pakistan, her birthland. It was a country she had often heard about from her family but hadn’t visited since childhood.

In Northern Pakistan, nestled at the foothills of some of the world’s tallest mountains, Farrukh worked with some of the most isolated and impoverished communities. To break the cycle of poverty and provide the community with additional sources of income, various NGO’s had implemented gemstone processing and jewelry making programs for women in Gilgit. Working for an NGO she realized that NGOs were very good at implementing training programs but often failed to take the next crucial step – create market access. The artisans, having received this extensive training, were still unable to stake out a livelihood as they had no access to profitable markets or ideas of what to produce. Witnessing the vulnerability of these communities Farrukh founded Daria Day to provide artisans with a sustainable livelihood and a path towards prosperity.

Daria Day is an ethically sourced and exquisitely handcrafted jewelry brand that is deeply committed to elevating the lives of the artisans who create each piece. Each piece of jewelry is accompanied with a product card detailing the name of the artisan and the origin of the gemstone. By supporting the economically disadvantaged, Daria Day hopes to make a difference by breaking the cycle of poverty and to show that we are all connected. 

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In this episode, Farrukh and Christal talk about:

• What originally brought Farrukh to the mountains of northern Pakistan and the fight for climate justice
• The challenges of building a supply chain in an extremely remote area of the world
• What inspires her to dream about what's next
• What you didn't know - but we all should understand - about mining and fair trade
• How to see through the lens of opportunity when you are witnessing so much injustice, day after day.

Christal Earle is the founder of Brave Soles.
Rafik Riad is the founder of Buy Good. Feel Good. 

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