Nature's beauty treatment
Utilizing yak milk and other local elements, Tibetan soap-maker builds a brand, empowers women, and vitalizes rural economy, Yang Feiyue reports.
The success of the project brought Niu a great sense of achievement and planted in her seeds of desire for community work.
Niu subsequently launched several other community-based initiatives, including a solar energy program and village women's health projects for medical education and checkups.
In 2012, Niu received an opportunity to study in Australia. This marked a turning point in her life.
"When I first arrived in Australia, I stayed with an elderly couple who owned a large ranch," Niu says.
"Helping them tend to their cattle on weekends felt like being back home in Tianzhu. But what struck me most was how Australians valued organic, natural products. It made me realize that my hometown, with its pristine environment and traditional way of life, was already living in an environmentally responsible way," she says.
After finishing her studies, she came back to Tianzhu and established Yakma in 2016 with co-founder Tashigar, with a vision to produce all-natural skincare products using yak milk and local herbs.
Starting with just three women from her community, the business has since grown to employ over a dozen local women, many of whom are over 40 years old.
These women, once confined to traditional roles, now earn a steady, stable income, working five to six hours a day.
