The Birth of Rakaposhi Naturals
As you might have perused from our story, Rakaposhi Naturals came into existence to bring you hearty goodness from the foothills of the Karakoram mountains right to your doorstep. Our name takes inspiration from Rakaposhi, also called Dumani or the Mother of Mist, which is one of the highest peaks in the Karakoram mountain range found in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The Naturals in our name expresses our commitment to bring to you products without preservatives or added chemicals.
Our main goal is to work with the hard-working people of Gilgit-Baltistan and bring to you items that are not only of delectable taste, but also free from synthetic compounds or added substances when they show up at your doorstep.
Have you ever wondered how people living in brutally cold and unforgiving circumstances within Northern Pakistan overcome the challenging seasons? Envision briefly that you have absolutely minimum access to warm water and electric power. What could it be that helps you through these circumstances? Let’s find out.
The first ever time I visited the valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan was back in 2005. I was truly mesmerized and, right away, fell head over heels for the magnificent valleys. The glorious mountains, snow-covered peaks, climbing trails, and breathtaking rivers flowing through the valleys. It was all beautiful to the point that I still have striking recollections sometimes. After putting in a couple of years abroad, based out of in the capital of Canada, for my Bachelors' degree, I chose to move back to Pakistan to find a way in which I could combine my passion for the Gilgit-Baltistan region and also support the local people.
Flashforward to the spring of 2021, while the Covid cases had died down a bit, I chose to make another trip up north. But this time was different. There was gloominess in the air. I could almost feel it. After talking to many people in Hunza, I understood that their livelihoods were severely impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on the tourism industry. People were losing their jobs and compromising on their standards of living. While there were domestic tourists still coming to the areas, it wasn’t enough to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.
With an increasing number of domestic tourists now coming into the region, one would think it would be an economic boom. It was actually quite the opposite. Most of the tourists would want to remain in a room with facilities for 4 to 5 people and spend as little as possible. Tragically, the tourism industry did not seem enough on its own to sustain the local economy.
Thus, I went on an excursion through various regions to study and understand how local people resided. I wanted to listen to their worries, while attempting to find an open door that would bring them better monetary rewards for their efforts.
What I found out surprised me. I saw that the food items grown locally are for the most part superfoods, also helping locals beat the Covid-19 virus. Secondly, the women appeared to be incredibly hard-working, driven, and dedicated to their work in the region. You could see them in all sorts of professions – from gardeners and construction workers to ranchers and farmers.
It was then when the seeds were planted for a top-notch assortment of these superfood items, advancing them in the urban communities and attempting to also improve the lives of the local ranchers involved in their extraction In November 2021, Rakaposhi Naturals chose to go live. We came into existence to bring to you the best superfoods that the area has to offer, while guaranteeing we do our parts in making life better for local people in the north.
We work closely with ranchers to obtain goodness from them, guarantee quality, and pack it for freshness, so you can enjoy these scrumptious treats with your friends and family. Our central goal is to do our part in giving back to the area that strives to guarantee items are of incredible taste and liberated from synthetic compounds or added substances. As a little badge of thanks and appreciation for the difficult work of the local ranchers, Rakaposhi Naturals gives 2% of every one of our profits back to the local area for assisting us with carrying these items to you. In any case, we can't do this by ourselves. We trust you'll assist us with spreading love and honoring the tremendous hard work of the local people involved in bringing the superfoods to your table.