Kangri Metok

Milk with a Mission: Kangri Metok’s Journey

Who am I

My Name’s Andrea Dominici, I’m mYak co-funder

I’m also a veterinary doctor specialized in dairy and rural development projects. For over 20 years I dedicate my time to work in the most far-off corners in the world always with the aim to create activities where humans live and produce food in harmony with the nature.

Since the creation of mYak with my partner in mYak Paola, with the same community where we source our baby yak fibre we had the dream to help them to valorise also the milk in order to increase a lot our social impact.

With the fibre for sure we give them a big help bur is one a year, instead with the milk is a daily earning that strongly impact the family budget.

It has been a very hard challenge, starting from zero, to create the factory in this marvellous valley with extreme environmental conditions.

NOW

Now the factory is ready and operational!

Imagine a place where pristine landscapes meet centuries-old traditions… Welcome to Kangri Metok, a social enterprise nestled in the heart of the Tibetan plateau. Our name, “Kangri Metok,” translates to “the flower of the snow mountain,” a symbol of the beauty and resilience of the region.

Our Vision

At Kangri Metok, our vision is clear: we aim to bridge Italian dairy technology with local heritage and tradition in yak-based dairy production. Our goal is to build a sustainable dairy ecosystem that primarily benefits the nomadic communities of the Tibetan plateau.

Why Kangri Metok Matters

Kangri Metok represents more than just a dairy factory; it embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation.

Our mission is to produce high-quality dairy products, including yoghurt, milk, and butter.

What sets us apart is our commitment to uncontaminated ingredients – the pristine environment, abundant water resources, grass-fed yaks, and a process free from additives and preservatives.

We blend local traditional knowledge with cutting-edge Italian dairy technology, creating products that are not only delicious but also environmentally responsible. Kangri Metok aims to serve its neighbouring 1,200 local nomadic families as both suppliers and beneficiaries. We strive to empower this community through collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Our Values

Respect for the local community, their heritage, and the environment.

Improving living conditions through increased household income.

Establishing ethical and sustainable food production.

Ensuring consumers’ right to enjoy high-quality, nutritious, safe dairy products.

The Dairy Factory

Our dairy factory stands at an impressive 3,600 meters above sea level, situated in a pristine valley of the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau. Designed according to bio-architectural standards, it is built with natural materials, including river stones and yak hair. Solar panels and advanced sewage treatment systems ensure minimal environmental impact.

Since August 2023 the factory started a little scale production and our yogurt is really delicious

Kangri Metok is now poised for a new phase of development, ready to scale up its operations and at the same time increase our social impact towards the weakest part of the community but to do that we need an external support

Our Team

Our team is entirely locally selected, we have now 8 team members, strongly committed on Kangri Metok vision and mission.

For these boys and girls the factory is an unique opportunity to live in their land and support the local community

The GoFundMe Campaign

https://gofund.me/6a65e919

Our initiative seeks to establish a new milk collection system that reaches every doorstep—or, in many cases, every tent flap—even in the most remote valleys where market access poses significant challenges.

To achieve this, we require a reliable means of transportation and a mobile lab to ensure the milk quality from each family meets standards.

Our fundraising goal was $28,000, we raised $ 10, 000 on GoFundMe and $9,000 with an Auction on mYak samples.

This fund is already on site and the collection process has been improved.

The current situation

Currently our project is in danger because this extremely cold winter damaged tore solar system and we are not able anymore to produce clean energy for our production.

Furthermore we have to train urgently a second lab technician because Sonam Droma, our current super lab girl just give birth to a baby in the middle of the Tibetan winter.

The total estimated need is $ 50K

I’m really worried because this venture represents 10 year of hard work and now we are so close to reach our goal that just 2 years ago seemed unreachable.