Gul Bahao

Into the 21st century with new ideas from Gul Bahao

Chandi Ghar – Warehouse

1. Rudimentary Structure (10’x12′)

Consists of a roof and floor (made of panaflex) and bamboo sticks, wall panels made up of aluminum foil and 8 was-tic blocks for the foundation. The roof would be inclined in order to let the rain pass through. The room size will be 10’x12′.

  • Roof 10’x12′. Costs Rs 10/square foot— Rs. 1,200
  • Floor 10’x12′ costs Rs 10/square foot— Rs. 1,200
  • Bamboo sticks (best available in the market) — Rs. 600
  • 4 wall panels (aluminum foil) —Rs. 400
  • 8 was-tic blocks — Rs. 300

The cost of this rudimentary structure will come to around Rs. 3,500

2. Chandi Ghar (10’x12′)

  • Consists of 10 columns of was-tic blocks 7 foot high.
  • 6 large and 12 small size bamboo sticks (best available in the market).
  • Panels made from either aluminum foil or panaflex panels, 3 in number
  • 2 wall panels on the side of the entrance.
  • 3 windows with a door opening of 3 feet

Rates:

  • 100 was-tic blocks at the rate of Rs. 40 per block — Rs. 4,000
  • 1 roof — Rs. 1,200
  • 1 floor — Rs. 1,200
  • Panels made from aluminum foil — Rs. 1,500
  • Panels made from panaflex — Rs. 4,000
  • Bamboo sticks — Rs. 600

Total cost of Chandi Ghar — Rs. 8,500 (panels made from aluminum foil)

Total cost of Chandi Ghar — Rs. 11,000 (panels made from panaflex)

Additional cost of windows and doors 50% hence coast of Chandi Ghar including doors and windows will be Rs. 12750, Rs.16500 respectively.

Cost of sending skilled worker would be Rs .400 per day for two people

Fuel Pack

Gul Bahao has announced its latest product called fuel pack. It was presented to a World Bank Consultant Mr. Kazim Saeed at the Gul Bahao’s Research Station in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. According to Gul Bahao it is an environmentally friendly alternate fuel. A very good substitute for coal. The product has come up at a time when the world is at logger heads over the supply of oil.

The fuel pack is a block weighing 10-12 kilos of size 6x17x21 inches. It is made from clean non-toxic industrial waste and contains bits of wood, paper, cloth pieces etc. Here it may be mentioned that Gul Bahao is daily collecting about 15 tons of waste material from 200 factories of Landhi and after several attempts has been able to come up with the fuel pack. The shape of the block is the same as that of was-tic blocks (building blocks made from plastic waste) and is made in the same mould. This took several years to develop. The pack does not contain anything that may produce toxic fumes. It is portable and is covered with tinsel or aluminum foil, which gives it an aesthetic look. Another attractive aspect of this block is its relative cost effectiveness. It costs as little as Rs 20 per block. It has been tried experimentally and has given excellent results. A business group in Karachi has volunteered to market it

Chandi Technology presented at the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Yesterday, the 13th of June was another milestone in Gul Bahao’s history when a meeting was held at the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss the Chandi technology developed by Gul Bahao during the last 15 years or so. The meeting was attended by Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif in addition to Mr. Kalusha Kingsley of the United Nations office for south cooperation and Mr. Idrees of the ICCI . The meeting was in fact the culmination of several weeks interaction on the internet. First of all a brief report was presented by Mr. Kingsley which along with photographs described salient features of the new technology:

  1. He said, “Being plastic it is hygienic it is mud houses that are the sources of infection”. “Where there is no illness there is no poverty”, remarked the CEO of Gul Bahao.
  2. It is low cost. A 10×12 room costs as little as 15,000 and easy to put up.
  3. It is strong against the elements viz. wind storms, rains, termites etc.
  4. It is cool in summer and warm in winter. Here Nargis Latif interjected that it is this very quality that has adhered itself to the people of Thar where hundreds of people are anxiously waiting for it.

The CEO of Gul Bahao described the discovery of the Chandi Ghar as phenomenal and totally in sync with 21st century requirements. Addressing the U.N representative Nargis said that by supporting the Chandi technology the United Nations will be coming closer to its  cherished Millennium development goals of making life easier for the common man.

Comparing the Chandi technology with the mobile technology, Nargis said that just as the mobile technology has changed the course of human life so too the Chandi block because of its prefabricated and modular nature will bring about another technological revolution. A two story Chandi Ghar can easily be converted into a water reservoir, furniture (including sofas, beds etc ) and vice versa. According to the Gul Bahao head, a significant aspect of the development of this technology has been crores of rupees invested in its research and extension. Looking back into the years 2000-2007, the aftermath of the 9,11 event has been a blot on mankind. At the same time, a lot of money poured into Karachi which became a huge laboratory for Gul Bahao’ s experiments, she remarked. Both the representatives of the ICCI and UNSCC offered to get investment from various sources for developing the Chandi Technology. In addition they agreed to promote it on various international fora in the middle east as well as in the U.S.A. They said videos and large sized photographs would be used in foreign exhibitions. In addition small real life replicas would also be put up in the exhibitions, they declared.

Bottled Boat invented at Textile Institute of Pakistan

Yesterday, the CEO of Gul Bahao was invited as chief guest at Textile Institute of Pakistan (TIP). The occasion was the launching ceremony of a boat made from used pet bottles. Escorted by young female students of the institute, Nargis sat in the boat rowed by the girls. It was a delightful occasion for all those Karachites who had traveled from the heart of the city to witness the innovation.

The TIP is located at the edge of the city, near Ghaggar Phattak on 32 acres of land. It has been developed by a well known architect. Right in the middle of the lush greenery of the campus is a lake on which the boat was sailing. A good deal of mathematics must have gone into the “bottled boat” as even a strong wind failed to over turn it while the combined weight of the “passengers” did not sink it.

Then followed a number of speeches at an improvised public meeting place with the lake in the background. In her maiden speech, the student organizer of tip Ammna Shahzad revealed that she and a couple of like minded students were tired of seeing all kinds of garbage littering the idyllic campus. The main “culprits” she said were plastic pet bottles. Both the faculty and the students decided to do something about it. The result she said was the “bottled boat”.

Highly enthused by her boat trip on the campus lake, Nargis Latif reminded the audience consisting of faculty and students of the tip of the teenager James Watt who discovered the steam engine and hence ushered in the industrial revolution. She talked of the youthful Wright brothers who while trying to emulate birds trying to fly in the air ended up inventing the modern airplanes. She also spoke in detail how her urge to clean up the metropolis of Karachi landed her with 21st century concepts, innovations which “nobody in the world had ever imagined” she said and which are meant to make life cheaper and easier, she claimed.

Talking in a more serious vein, the Gul Bahao head pointed to the natural disasters afflicting Pakistan from time to time. She warned the well fed “burger class” that god forbid Karachi can “drown in a river of gutter water.” she reminded that not very long ago a 24 yr. Hour downpour resulted in high speed waves sweeping away peoples belongings in the shanty towns of the metropolis. This has also happened in the elite south she said. The cause cited was the clogging of the drainage system because of poor solid waste management for a metropolis of Karachi’s size she said research is indispensable for any proper solution of its waste management system.

In his presidential speech the head of the institute Mr. Zarar Zubair, agreed that the best way to acknowledge the student’s innovation is to market it.

In the end, amidst thunderous applause, Nargis was presented with a plaque by Mr. Zarrar Zubair. Later on as a token of honor a tree was planted in Nargis Latif’s name.

Zakaat for Gul Bahao

Dear Sir/Madam,  Aslama Alaikum.

This is to request you to give your Zakaat to Gul Bahao. As you are aware Gul Bahao has been working tirelessly for the upliftment of society since the last nineteen years. The circle of people being affected by its work is growing exponentially.

Thousands of people in Karachi have benefited from Gul Bahao’s scheme, “Kachra Do Sona Lo”. While Gul Bahao has discouraged scavenging from garbage dumps it has given the alternative of the Safai mein Kamai concept where wastage is bought and sold in a scientific and hygienic manner. Through this scheme Gul Bahao is fighting for its goal of employment unlimited. Poor people have been shown how to earn money honestly.

More than Twenty five lac rupees worth of Chandi Ghars (prefabricated shelters)  were put up in disaster affected areas of Mansehra, Muzzafargarh, Thatta, Awaran (Baluchistan) and Mithi (Tharparkar) during the last ten years. This also includes slum dwellers of Gulshan-e-Iqbal when their huts were burnt.

Our Research center which is also working as a Disaster Management Center has developed many other products and concepts of tremendous use to the common man. These include:

  1. Chandi block which is inter convertible into furniture, roofs, tarpaulins, shelters, small water reservoirs.
  2. Water purification technique.
  3. Cheap fodder for livestock
  4. Mobile toilets
  5. City farm

We have also conducted advocacy programs for the dissemination of authentic translations of the Holy Quran in three languages viz. Urdu, English and Sindhi. This has been in the form of exhibitions, producing cards, lectures, reading to the general public etc.

In order to achieve all this the organization has had to give tremendous sacrifices in terms of money, time and peace of mind.

We shall be extremely grateful if you would deposit your donation via western union. For information about making a donation please contact us or inform us on telephone numbers 021-32250452,0333-8869491, 0300-6628697 or through SMS.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,                    

Nargis Latif,

Managing Trustee,

Gul Bahao