Gul Bahao

Into the 21st century with new ideas from Gul Bahao

Zakaat for Gul Bahao

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 the society since the last seventeen years.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/Kamai Bank 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 are being shown how to earn money honestly.

Eleven lacs worth of pre fabricated shelters were sent to earthquake areas. We have even provided very low cost shelters called “Chandi Ghar” to the poorest of the poor when their huts were burnt. During the last one year we provided houses to the flood affectees Muzzafargarh and Thatta.

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. Low cost subsidized housing.
2. Water purification techniques.
3. Cheap fodder for livestock
4. Alternative energy for lighting stoves etc

We have also conducted advocacy programs for the dissemination of authentic translations of the Holy Quran. This has been in the form of exhibitions producing cards, lectures, reading to the general public.

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

I shall be extremely grateful if you would deposit your zakat by western union. For information about making a donation please contact us or inform us on telephone numbers 32250452, 03012754469 and 03338869491 or by SMS.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

Nargis Latif,
Managing Trustee, Gul Bahao

Pakistan’s first Environment Museum inaugurated by Vice Chancellor Karachi University

People of Karachi traveling on the NIPA bridge witnessed a rare spectacle on Environment Day. A 20′ x 40′ beautifully constructed prefabricated “Chandi Ghar” glittering and shimmering in the blazing sun. A twenty member group of the alumni of Karachi University called Unikarians headed by the Vice chancellor of Karachi University had come to inaugurate Pakistan’s first Environment Museum.

Nargis latif the chairperson of Gul Bahao showed the group around an impressive display of recycled products invented by the organization. “There are lots of people making handicrafts from waste material. But Gul Bahao’s mission is to recycle in order to make commercially viable products”, she revealed.

At the entrance to the museum was the Gardens in the Air. The visitors were amazed to know that spinach,onions, cattle feed etc was being grown 20 -30 ft. Above the air in small shoppers containing manure made from municipal waste. Another section of the museum showed the latest venture of the organization. Waterproof tarpaulins made from shoppers and wrappers (packing material). Nargis said a good deal of waste generated from factories is clean waste which may be considered virgin material and treated like any other raw material.

A huge water reservoir was the Centre of attraction. Again the guests were fascinated to learn that the chandi blocks were converted into swimming pools as well as household furniture . The inside of the chandi hall was full of sofas, a master bed and tables tastefully arranged.

In his inaugural speech Vice Chancellor lauded the services of Nargis Latif and said that he has been following Gul Bahao’s activities for quite some time.

Gul Bahao goes international !

GUL BAHAO GOES INTERNATIONAL! CNN has repeatedly shown Gul Bahaos research Center (in the current month) and it can be seen on its website here. The center is planning to convert into an Environment museum  close to the World Environment Day i.e the 5 th of June.  The Museum will exhibit recycled products with a clear cut use as well as commercial value.

Horticulture in air

According to its spokesman Mohammad Hannan the objective behind this project is to recycle organic waste which in a city like Karachi accounts for 50% of its total waste. The gardens in the air present a rare spectacle. They are basically two wooden scaffolding carrying a wide assortment of plants, flowering plants, onions, spinach etc.

When the camera man wanted to film the plants they were brought down by means of a huge nailed bamboo sticks. On close quarters it was found that the plants instead of pots had plastic bags as containers. The plastic bags were attached to the scaffolding by means of an intricate use of rope knotting.

Further elaborating Mohammad Hannan the spokesman explained that the “Gardens in the Air” is in line with Gul Bahao’s philosophy of “Forging a nexus between environment and economy” and that these plants at some stage will be grown for the market. Pointing to Gul Bahao’s manifesto he said the “City Farm” was visualized years ago, At this point Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif told the television crew that her organization had been working on industrial waste especially plastic waste for a long time but organic waste was neglected for a long time.

Further elaborating Mohammad Hannan said that organic waste has been collected from road sites, garbage dumps ,cattle farms and mixed up in a small land fill at Gul Bahao’s research centre in Gul shan-e-Iqbal. There it is converted into organic fertilizer which is put into polythene bags into which plants are grown. These plants are then put up on the scaffolds giving the impression of multitier fields similar to multistoried houses.

However since the last one year or so her organization has restarted research work on organic waste once again. Pointing to the 5×5 by 30 ft high scaffolding she asked the television crew can you imagine growing 50 different kinds of full grown plants in such a small area and that to along the main road of one of the biggest metropolises of the world She shocked the anchor person by predicting that “By the grace of God we will soon be having wheat and barley growing in the skies of Karachi.”