Pakistan’s first-ever NFT charity raises over Rs2mn

By
Murtaza Ali Shah
|
The H20 Wheel, one of the interventions the Tayaba organisation has introduced for improving water accessibility. Courtesy: Twitter/@H2oTayaba
The H20 Wheel, one of the interventions the Tayaba organisation has introduced for improving water accessibility. Courtesy: Twitter/@H2oTayaba

  • Tayaba organisation is working to improve water accessibility in water-scarce areas. 
  • The organisation auctioned digital art which included trading cards, animated images and gifs in the form of NFTs. 
  • The organisation raises Rs2mn through auction of NFTs. 


LONDON: A charity working in Pakistan on the issue of water scarcity and accessibility claims to have launched and raised Rs2mn through a limited collection of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) primarily to raise much-needed awareness for water accessibility. 

Bilal Bin Saqib, a London School of Economics (LSE) graduate who heads the charity, told Geo.tv that the Tayaba organization, through this step, has become the “first Pakistani NGO and one of the first globally to implement the innovative blockchain-based NFT technology for fundraising purposes in the charity sector”.

Saqib said that the Tayaba organisation, led by a team of social innovators, is now getting ahead of the curve by employing the use of NFTs to spread awareness and raise funds for its "Help-2-Others" (H2O) water intervention.

The H2O Wheel is a specially designed water-carrying device that helps transport water, removing the burden off the shoulders for people who have to travel long distances for obtaining water. 

Saqib added that that the organization auctioned digital art which included trading cards, animated images and gifs in the form of NFTs. NFTs allow the donor to have unique ownership of the digital art which is both financially and socially valuable.

He said that the auctioned cards are a part of a much larger NFT collection which is made up of six impactful and worthwhile NFTs, in line with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including Women Empowerment, Economic Growth, Enhanced Education, Improved Health, Gender Equality, and Water Accessibility. 

Saqib further added that the initiative represents a unique and tangible "use-case" as it gains more acceptance across the world. 

The fundraising campaign immediately gained traction on social media platforms with an increasing number of people showing interest in the initiative due to its creativity and technological ingenuity.

Bilal Saqib, who founded the organization while studying at the LSE for Masters in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said that Tayaba organisation offers an innovative solution called the "H2O wheel". 

The H2O wheel has so far positively impacted over 50,000 people, mostly in marginalised communities.

Saqib’s social work has not just received a "Points of Light Award" and acknowledgement by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the charity’s impact, but Saqib has also previously featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in recognition of Social Entrepreneurship through Tayaba organisation.

Saqib added, “The collection of NFTs include trading cards that stand for each of the aforementioned values which project the impact Tayaba's H2O Wheels have had on its users." 

"The NFT fundraiser, with 12 assets including trading cards, animated images and gifs, is being auctioned online. Tayaba has already managed to raise over Rs2mn, coinciding with the International Charity Day," he added. 

Saqib further asked for other local charities to be “forward-thinking and make this into a win-win situation for charity, corporates, and the crypto community; driving brand awareness and raising funds for charitable organizations doing amazing work in Pakistan”.