Gul Bahao

Into the 21st century with new ideas from Gul Bahao

Letter to Pakistan’s representative in the United Nations

Dear Sir,

May the peace of God almighty be upon you!  I hope this letter of mine finds you in the best of health and spirits. In the first place please accept my heartfelt gratitude for helping in promoting the cause of Gul Bahao through your esteemed TV channel before assuming your latest responsibilities at the United Nations. This letter is in fact an appeal to you to use your good offices to further the cause of this movement, one of whose objectives is conducting research into waste management. The results have been fantastic to say the least and must be shared with the international community considering that we as Muslims and Pakistanis are duty bound to share our knowledge for the good of mankind. Sir, let me pause here and recall how it became possible for Gul Bahao to come up with its two classic innovations-the Chandi Ghar and the Safai/Kamai Bank (known as Garbage N Gold Bank). As you are aware research demands money and a great deal of it for that matter. To date more than 8crore rupees have been spent (only in 2002,1 crore and ten lacs were spent according to audited accounts). This was the time when for an entire decade the world thanks to the aggressive policies 0f Mr. Bush and company was embroiled in the deadliest war of the world. As if to create a soft corner for this war millions and trillions of dollars poured into our country especially Karachi. Certainly, getting hold of the money was no joke, but the fact remains that it came and was wisely used by us for:

  1. A socioeconomic revival
  2. Controlling environmental degradation while allowing industrialization to flourish
  3. To attract the educated youth towards research activities.

No doubt Gul Bahaos innovations have been getting coverage in the press but the approach at best has been superficial. Both the Chandi Ghar and the Safai/Kamai Bank are totally in sync with 21st century requirements. In fact most of the material used in the Chandi Ghar is high tech material. Let me describe to you the “Kutchra do Sona Lo” campaign. For two years a fleet of vehicles including trucks and pickup vans carrying young men were meeting junk dealers and motivating them to trade in garbage by giving them cash and gold. So successful was the campaign that it brought into existence a new breed of businessmen who started providing cheap raw material to industries and despite the endemic violence that keeps taking place in Karachi its economy keeps growing. The impact of the Safai mein Kamai system can be gauged from the fact that its slogan “You give us garbage, we give you gold” is a household slogan in this metropolis of more than 15 million people .The Safai mein Kamai Bank is truly the bank of the future where the instruments of banking is waste material. It is difficult to say which of the two innovations Chandi Ghar or the Garbage N Gold Bank is going to have a greater impact on the international scene. Briefly the Chandi Ghar is a modular block whose uses are multipurpose. The same blocks may be used to make a double storied houses to making  a swimming pool, furniture including chairs sofas, tables etc. They are waterproof as well as strong enough to resist storms and gales. They are easy to put up and dismantle as well. As the name suggests they are splendid to look at. Sir, recent history tells us that a single innovation has been able to change the course of history, take the example of the steam engine, the computer and now the mobile phone. I am confident that Gul Bahaos innovations are going to do just that.

It may come as a pleasant surprise to you that there has been widespread recognition of our innovations. These include:

1. German nationals connected with the German embassy
2. Clinton Foundation and Ashoka (American NGO)
3. Articles written in Courier International (French)  ,Hindustan Times (India)
4. Supreme Court of India
5. UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank
6. BBC CNN ZeeTV StarPlus
7. Included as a scientific organization in the directory of the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology. It has been covered by the mainstream print and electronic media of Pakistan
8. Have been written about in school level textbooks in both Urdu and English
9. 600 people visit our website on a monthly basis
10. Local bodies (including Nazims and Civil Servants) coming for training
11. University Students doing theses and assignments on our work

No doubt most of the gigantic work mentioned above can be claimed by me and my organization but it would be unfair not to mention hundreds of people throughout the length and breadth of Karachi who gave moral and material support especially the latter. These include:

1. Professionals like architects, engineers, teachers, lecturers, professors
2. NGOs
3. Businessmen (including office bearers of Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
4. MPAS and provincial ministers
5. Universities, elite schools
6. Women who give zakat once a year.

In addition to this and the fact that Karachi has a peculiar geography(especially its arid climate ) has made  the program  truly unique and hence the slogan “Karachi’s gift to the world” Why use the word Karachi when people from outside Karachi as well as Pakistanis living abroad have supported it Answer one must  not forget the fact that Karachi is one of the  largest metropolises of the  world  and hence any innovation coming from here is bound to affect the world. At this stage when the country is going through a rough spell and people’s morale is at low ebb it is particularly important that the above slogan be raised. If these two innovations are publicized on the world forum they are sure to renew the country’s self-esteem and confidence. February 1 will the day when Gul Bahao will be completing 18 years of its existence. In other words it has taken a full 18 years for these innovations to develop and mature. And before I forget there have been claims by other organizations and persons to own these innovations. They have not been patented by us.

Sir, you have been putting your best efforts to project Pakistan’s case abroad. God willing you will also succeed in projecting Karachi’s gift to the World as well.”

With Best Wishes I end with the prayer “May the blessings of the almighty shower down on you”

Nargis Latif
(Managing Trustee)
An Open Letter to Mr. Hussain A. Haroon Pakistan’s Representative in the United Nations

Chandi Ghar hall attracts millions on Submarine Chowk of Clifton

For the last two weeks or so the Submarine Chowk of Clifton has been presenting a rare spectacle, the “Chandi Ghar”.  Lacs of vehicles pass by with the passengers staring in amazement at the beautiful piece of architecture glittering in the bright sunlight. The main entrance has two banners (in Urdu and English).  One carries the letters “Donate your recyclable garbage for flood affectees”

The scheme is unique. According to  Mohammad Hannan, Gul Bahao’s spokesman, Clifton being the rich man’s home throws up millions of rupees worth of waste paper, plastic ,metal everyday. if people bring these in, the money will be enough to build thousands of Chandi Ghars for the flood affectees, he said confidently. Continuing he said “If every flood affectee gets a Chandi Ghar, he will remain in his village to carry on his “Zamindari” and will not need to move into the cities and cause  overcrowding , which ultimately is the cause of tension and breakdown of the system .

The Chandi Ghar is truly a magnificent innovation “A gift from Karachi to the World” – the title of an exhibition to be held in January when foreign diplomats will be especially invited. The Chandi Ghar was not made in a single day, It took the organization 17 years and more than 8 crores, the spokesman says emphatically. Mohammad Hannan regretted that the media has given a one sided coverage of the Chandi Ghar and associated it only with waste management. The truth of the matter is that it has brought in a new technology which despite being high tech(the raw material i.e plastic is highly affordable, is highly affordable as well. It is not only useful in disaster management, once it enters the  market, new vistas will open up and “its applications will be much more than its innovators ever dreamed of “. The exhibition to be held in January will also showcase the modular nature of the wastic blocks (or building blocks) of the Chandi Ghar. The same blocks can be alternately used to make beds, sofas, swimming pools, fishponds etc.

The Chandi Ghar on Submarine Chowk has raised a good deal of interest in people from different walks of life especially people from different walks of life. More important it is helping to raise the spirits of the people who want to rise above the uncertainity and depression which has overtaken the people of this humungous city. Here it may be recalled that the City school PAF chapter has been the most enthusiastic partner providing both moral and material support for putting up the Chandi Ghar.

Kindly put your valuable 1,000 ( one thousand ) Rupees in First Women Bank, Gul Bahao account no 0007001857810001 or Allied Bank, Nargis Latif acc. no.0010032750390011( 0159 branch code –  One Unit costs Rs. 40,000 with double ceiling). You can also make 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.

Worlds first plastic house plant established

Today, Nargis Latif Managing Trustee of the Gul Bahao Trust while addressing the assembly of A level students of City School PAF chapter announced that Gul Bahao has succeeded in establishing the world’s first assembly plant of prefabricated housing made from plastic waste on main Rashid Minhas Road on a two thousand yards plot. Nargis claimed amidst tremendous applause that Gul Bahao has developed a totally new product through its research work which is comparable to any other innovation of the 21st century. She exhorted that we Pakisanis must rid ourselves of the inferiority complex that we are incapable of innovating. She said one of the impact of the plant will be to make a name for Pakistan as no one in the world including the developed countries has come anywhere close to designing the Chandi Ghar (Made of building blocks from plastic waste) She said that the raw material is being supplied by manufacturers free of cost and in tones which has helped to reduce the cost of the houses considerably the result is that the plant is in a position to supply hundreds of houses to flood affected areas. And now a 20’ x20’ house will cost as little as Rs 40,000. She reminded the audience that last year Gul Bahao put up a number of Chandi Ghars in the flood affected areas of Muzzafargarh and Thatta . Nargis said that in order to make a deeper impact Gul Bahao will open the doors of this vital research open to the public especially the business community so that the Chandi Ghars may be produced enmasse and large numbers of flood affectees may be benefited.

Here, the head of Gul Bahao announced the formation of the Gul Bahao Club whose objective she said is to form Research Centres in the schools. However as a first step she said students will be asked to bring in recyclable garbage like paper, plastic etc from their homes which will be a source of revenue generation for the houses to be built for the flood affectees . She said in the past the students had donated their dry garbage but only in a limited way and that now efforts would have to be increased manifold. She revealed that Karachi University and NED University have been supporting Gul Bahao’s cause by donating their recyclable waste. This she said helped the organization considerably in meeting its expenses. She exhorted the students to “donate” as much recyclable garbage as possible to Gul Bahao.

Kindly put your valuable 1,000 ( one thousand ) Rupees in First Women Bank, Gul Bahao account no 0007001857810001 or Allied Bank, Nargis Latif acc. no.0010032750390011( 0159 branch code –  One Unit costs Rs. 40,000 with double ceiling).

Key to Pakistan’s success – expanding small cities

Yesterday, Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif addressed the senior students of City School PAF Campus. According to her Gul Bahaos innovations can easily turn the tide in Pakistan’s favor especially in the strife torn Karachi. She said that a major reason for Karachi’s turmoil is the overcrowding of the metropolis. Referring to Mao Tse Tungs China she said the key to Chinas success was moving the population from big cities to the countryside and forming new towns and cities. In any case she said that our Sindhi villagers are quite happy in their villages. It is only the floods which after destroying their houses render them penniless and they have to flee to the cities.

The managing trustee of Gul Bahao claimed that Gul Bahao’s Chandi Ghar is the ideal solution for our flood affected areas. Being prefabricated these houses can be put up in hours and dismantled just as quickly. The building blocks called wastic blocks are huge 6X17X21 and made of plastic material. They are extremely strong against the elements as well as long lasting. She explained research on this innovation cost her organization 80 million rupees and took 17 years to develop. She pointed out that it has been put up in several places and stood the test of time. Giving one example she said that Gul Bahao’s office is located in one such Chandi Ghar for the last four years and has survived cyclones and heavy downpours. She revealed that its advantage is its very low cost (between Rs.20,000-40,000) having size 20’x20’. This is because the raw material i.e plastic foil is being supplied in tonnes by big multinational companies.

Nargis revealed that recent delegations from UNDP, UNESCO and Pakistani born Britishers came to study this new innovation at Gul Bahao’s set up Gulshan-e-Iqbal. She said the organization has attracted organizations as diverse as Clinton foundation, German embassy, French nationals, CNN, Supreme Court of India etc.

Here it may be mentioned that the City school PAF Chapter has been helping the Gul Bahao organisation in its campaign for collecting funds through Garbage collection and the talk was arranged by the school for helping Gul Bahao to build houses for the flood affectees.

Kindly put your valuable 1,000 ( one thousand ) Rupees in First Women Bank, Gul Bahao account no 0007001857810001 or Allied Bank, Nargis Latif acc. no.0010032750390011( 0159 branch code –  One Unit costs Rs. 40,000 with double ceiling).

Gul Bahao CEO describes concept of the Safai/Kamai Bank to students of Newport University Karachi

Speaking to a packed audience of BBAs and MBAs at Newport University Karachi, the head of Gul Bahao trust Nargis Latif on Sunday declared that the concept of the Safai/Kamai Bank or Garbage N Gold Bank has arrived. this “Bank” in its rudimentary form is the back bone of Karachi’s economy. Describing the bank as a third world solution to first world problems she said it has attracted the attention of the world famous TV channel CNN. She said that both BBC and CNN held detailed discussions with her about it and were keen to cover it up as soon as its “Appearance livens up”. Nargis said that Karachi being the seventh largest city of the world can vie with any first world country of the world in terms of wealth and is an important factor behind Gul Bahao’s success. She revealed that Gul Bahao cashed into the free flow of money available during the Musharaf era and experimented with all kinds of material to produce goods and concepts of international significance. Using a team of 80 youths and a dozen trucks and pickup vans it went into the luxury of giving 24 carat gold to Kabarias and conducted a city wide campaign of “Kutchra Do Sona LO” to Kabarias to start the Safai/Kamai Bank. Somewhat digressing form her topic Nargis claimed that having spent crores of rupees on research (only in 2002 audited accounts revealed an expenditure of 1 crore and ten lacs for a single year), her organization has a blue print for any political party for revamping the entire economy of the country including cheap fuel for running power plants!

Going into the background of modern day innovations she said that they were in fact upgradations of traditional practices e.g. the traditional midwife has developed into an obstetrician, the grocery and provision shop has evolved into the supermarket. Tomorrows GNG (Garbage N GoldBanks) is in fact 21st century version of our Kabaria or junk dealer. Kabarias are minting money she said, despite the fact that they are totally illiterate. To the audience who were listening with rapt attention the CEO of Gul Bahao threw the question “Don’t you think education makes a difference?”, Nargis said that in order for the Kabaria to develop into a sophisticated Safai/Kamai bank its outward appearance must change. All the paraphernalia of the modern banking system like computers, air-conditioned hall etc. must be there. Most importantly,she said it must be located on main arteries of the city. Does any successful bank operate in any by lane (as in the case of Kabarias which come under the nomenclature of the informal economy, she asked once again. Nargis said,she was trying to get the academia interested in this kind of bank.

a) where the instruments of banking is recyclable industrial waste
b) which works on zero rates interest
c) whose profits are as much as that of any traditional bank
d) where always the current rate of different waste materials displayed on the notice board in the manner of money exchangers.

She said that LUMS was one University which had sought written permission from Gul Bahao for introducing the concept of the Garbage N Gold Bank in its Syllabus. It also awarded a research worker for her dissertation on this very subject i.e. the Safai/Kamai Bank. She revealed that some textbooks of secondary level have already included this and other work of Gul Bahao in their textbooks.

The speech truly fired the imagination of the audience who were all agog to know how their knowledge of business administration could be used for setting up the “bank of the future”.