The Inspiration
The inspiration for Thuo-Trust comes from a critical turning point for Botswana’s cattle industry. While we see 300 million livestock across Africa as a vast fortune, this wealth is currently under threat. In Botswana, our 150,000 smallholders are "asset-rich" but "economically vulnerable." We were primarily motivated by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). We realized that without a digital way to prove an animal's "birth-to-slaughter" history, our farmers—who own 2.5 million cattle—could be locked out of the EU market by 2025. We were inspired to build a "Digital Passport" that ensures no herder is left behind by global trade laws. Furthermore, we were driven by the daily reality of cattle theft, which strips 15% of annual income from rural families. We saw that paper records are too easy to forge, and we wanted to create a system where a stolen cow becomes "unsellable" because its digital identity doesn't match the seller. Finally, we were inspired to close the gender documentation gap. We found that while women manage 70% of our livestock, they lack the formal papers needed to claim government subsidies or buy insurance. We wanted to move beyond the "meraka" (cattle post) and give every woman herder an independent digital credential, ensuring she is recognized, protected, and rewarded for her labor. Thuo-Trust is our vision for a secure, compliant, and inclusive future for the African herder.
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