Gul Bahao

Into the 21st century with new ideas from Gul Bahao

Gul Bahao CEO gives key note speech at Karachi Rotary club east

Nargis Latif of Gul Bahao was invited as chief guest and key note speaker at a meeting of the Karachi Rotary club east. The topic of her speech was “Waste – A valuable resource”. Nargis Latif started her speech with Gul Bahao’s jingle, “Kutcra Sona Hey” which drew plenty of applause from the audience. She said that while on the one hand Karachi’s garbage has the potential to destroy the city, on the other hand it is a veritable gold mine, one indication being the cottage industry that it sustains.

The speaker presented a hypothesis of a Garbage n’ Gold (GnG) Bank where wet (organic) and dry (inorganic) garbage is bought. She said that Gul Bahao has researched all kinds of waste material being produced in the city and the GnG bank is the center of the scheme. Presently only dry garbage or non toxic industrial waste is being handled here. The GnG Bank has been performing the following functions:

1. Selling the bulk as raw material to middlemen and factories. It was pointed out that there are two markets Godhra and Machar Colony which are respectively taking cloth and polythene. All kinds of paper and cardboard are also sent out. Between March and July 2006 more than 30 lacs worth of wastage was sold out.

2. Waste material related to wood like wood shavings, broomsticks laminated paper, small bits of cloth; even dry twigs are used to make alternative fuel.

3. A good deal of the waste at the GnG bank includes shopping bags and other industrial waste. This lends itself easily to an entirely new concept of bricks called was-tic blocks to be used for prefabricated housing having the common name of “Chandi Ghar” These blocks can be put up in hours and dismantled just as quickly Nargis Latif showed dozens of photographs of houses made up of was-tic blocks to the audience. At this stage. Nargis suggested that a huge market for these prefabricated structures is the Haj season or any other religious occasion where temporary housing is required.

Nargis told the audience that while research on organic waste done by Gul Bahao is comparatively less yet the amount that has been done are worth talking about as organic waste comprises more than 50% of our waste.

Nargis said that the livestock market put up on the super highway at the time of Eid-ul Azha should be an indication of how much potential there is in livestock and hence the use of organic waste like vegetable and fruit peels and leaves. This wastage if collected in a clean manner can be used for rearing livestock in the suburbs of the city or wherever buildings cannot be erected.

The speaker also talked about biomass or trees growing on gutter water or even factory effluents which are polluting the rivers and the seas. For arguments sake even if poisons are taken up by the trees, their wood would not be eaten by humans, the wood would go into making furniture. Towards the end there was a question answer session, followed by a vote of thanks from Mr. Iqbal Alavi, the secretary of the Rotary Club. A memento was also presented to the managing trustee of Gul Bahao.

NED University students visit Gul Bahao’s Research Centre

Yesterday, a thirty six member delegation of NED students came on a study tour of Gul Bahaos Research Centre located in Gushan-e-Iqbal. This centre is the first of its kind in the whole of Pakistan and has attracted hundreds of people from different walks of life especially NGO workers, representatives of local bodies, students, architects and journalists and even foreigners. The organisation claims that being public oriented its doors are open to all and sundry. The staff of Gul Bahao took pains to explain all the six innovations right from Paaki Paani, Chandi Ghar Safai /Kamai Bank, Fuel pack to the latest innovation, Choora Chaara  (cattle feed ) etc. Nargis Latif,  the  CEO of Gul Bahao said that these innovations were not created in a single day but took almost 15 years. Each innovation being unique, took place separately and evolved after several trials and experimentation. What is more she said they have been tried and tested, some even marketed. To a question how the cattle responded to the Choora Chaara, Gul Bahao’s  manager Habibullah responded that the cattle feed  has been fed to  a number of cattle (owned by the workers of Gul Bahao)  who eat it just like the conventional feed . The CEO of Gul Bahao said that the importance of the Gul Bahao’s Research Centre lies in its being a part and parcel of a real life situation, being located right in the midst of a thickly populated area. The participants, being students of engineering evinced keen interest in the fuel pak, a very inexpensive alternate fuel  made from waste material and which Gul Bahao claims can be used  for running power plants. Describing the condition of research in the country as “tragic”. Nargis said that even those who raise a hue and cry about the lack of science and scientific spirit in the country are not willing to consider informal and original ways of conducting research and improvising as is continually being done in the cottage industries and the informal sector. Nargis claimed that each and every innovation of Gul Bahao has the potential to change the entire socioeconomic condition of the country. She informed the participants that the Sindh Government  has directed its departments to give away their  waste paper to Gul bahao as revenue  for  its research work. Pointing to the area adjoining the Research Centre Nargis  said that the area spread over several acres and housing hundred of jhuggi wallas would be used for the practical implementation of Gul Bahao’s research program.

Gul Bahao’s Project “Busti-Benazir” presented to Chairman Katchi Abadis, Mr. Pir Baksh Jamali

Yesterday Nargis Latif met the Chairman Katchi Abadis, Mr. Pir Baksh Jamali in his Office and briefed him about Gul Bahao’s upcoming Project “Busti-Benazir”. She explained that there is a pun on the word “Benazir” which means unique. The Scheme located on Rashid Minhas Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal is actually meant to act as a model for the world and to act as an extension arm for the research work, experiments and innovations of Gul Bahao. These innovations include:

  • Chandi Ghar – low cost pre-fabricated houses made from non-toxic industrial waste like aluminium foil, shopping bags, thermopole etc.
  • Income generating activities like making fodder packets, Safai/Kamai banks, an updated version of the Kabarias.
  • Paaki Pani – a simple water purification technique which is extremely low cost as well.

Nargis said the focus would be on the Chandi Ghar so that a parallel construction industry which could be used in special conditions like military purposes, oil rigging and especially in disaster management and could which could also be used for export purposes as well. Nargis further said that Gul Bahao’s innovations would not only help the country but could also bring much needed recognition and fame to Pakistan.

Mr. Pir Baksh said that he was very much impressed by the briefing and offered to involve Gul Bahao in a low cost housing Scheme in Thatta where the Government intends to build 210 houses on 80 sq.yards plots spread over 10 acres. Mr. Pir Baksh Jamali said the price of the Chandi Ghar Rs.15,000/- (Fifteen thousands) per unit was very attractive. Given the difficult economic conditions, Nargis even offered to make these houses on barter basis. She said if the Sindh Government gives its waste paper to Gul Bahao, the revenue so generated would be used for building the pre-fabricated houses which have tremendous qualities, one of them being longevity.

In the meantime, Nargis Latif met the Provincial Minister Mrs. Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto at the Sindh Secretariat. Ms. Bhutto said she was actively lobbying for the Chandi Ghar and would like one to be put up in Larkana near the mausoleum of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. She said she was trying to have a “Busti Benazir” put up in the earthquake affected areas of Baluchistan. To this Nargis Latif replied that Gul Bahao has a good deal of experience in working in earthquake affected areas in 2005 earthquake. Then, Gul Bahao’s team had set up several houses in District Mansehra under the supervision of the Army Welfare Centre.

Gul Bahao’s “Choora Chaara” innovation presented to Minister for Women’s Development Mrs. Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto

Last Saturday Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif  met the Minister for Women’s Development Mrs. Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto in her office. Nargis gave a presentation of Gul Bahao’s latest projects related to animal feed called “Choora Chaara”  which is being prepared from waste organic material. With the help of slides and photographs, Nargis Latif showed the Minister, the different processes through  which organic waste like vegetable and fruit peels are converted to animal feed in a clean and hygienic manner. This is finally packaged to give it a shelf life of weeks and even months. She said the methodology is simple and cost effective and much superior to what the cattle get at the garbage dumps.

Nargis Latif then gave a detailed presentation of the Chandi Ghar, a low cost housing project. Nargis said that Gul Bahao is planning  a pilot project called “Busti Benazir”  where practical demonstration of Gul Bahao’s innovations would be demonstrated in real life situations. This “busti” would be a pilot project for disaster managment and rehabilitation. The location would be the Kutchi Abadi adjoining thew research center of Gul Bahao opposite Sindbad.

The minister singled out the “Choora Chara” and said it attracted her the most since it could  be a source of  income generation for women sitting at  home. She said that with prices of agriculture related products rising very fast the cheap animal feed would directly help in increasing meat and milk produce. She said that she would talk to the chief minister at the earliest.

In the meantime, Nargis Latif met the Vice Chancellor  of the NED University Mr. Abul Kalaam in his office. Nargis Latif said that Gul Bahaos Research Center located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal  has attracted hundreds of students from NED, Dawood and Karachi University especially those from the Architecture Departments as well as scores of representatives of the local bodies from all over Sindh. She said that some time ago two Directors of the Clinton Foundation Mr. Christopher Godlove and Mr. Alex Hurd met Nargis Latif at the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi and held detailed discussioin with her about Gul Bahao’s work on waste management. Mr Godlove had been especially impressed with the Chandi Ghar (which  is made of inorganic waste) and admitted that it was unique in the World .

Mr. Abul Kalam said that Gul Bahao’s Safai/Kamai bank interested him a good deal and he would ask the State Bank to give recognition to this new concept of a bank. He offered to give his university’s recyclable waste as a source of funding to Gul Bahao.

Nargis Latif pointed out to the Vice Chancellor that research is not only that which takes place in the protected confines of  the university laboratories  but the bazaars, the cottage industry and the informal sectors are some of the most vibrant places of innovations and new ideas. Agreeing, the Vice Chancellor said that what Gul Bahao is doing comes under the domain of applied research. Professor Sarosh Lodhi the chairman of the department of civil engineering of NED invited Nargis to speak to his students about her different research projects.

Zakaat collection during ramazan

Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif has during the holy month of Ramazan been meeting important personalities of the city, wherein she has been outlining the organization’s several innovations which according to her can easily turn the economy around.

Recently Nargis Latif met the chairman of the Site Association Mr. Nisar Sheikhani and briefed him about how Gul Bahao’s campaign of  “you give us garbage, we give  you gold”  has yielded fruits for the business community as now they have access to cheap but good quality raw material. Nargis said that many Karachites are aware of the fact that for two years more than seventy young men from Gul Bahao used to collect assorted garbage from junk dealers in their Suzuki and Mazda trucks from all over the city, exhorting junk dealers to trade in every day waste material instead of restricting themselves to furniture and household items. Along with cash they used too give twenty four carat gold as an added incentive. The result was that more and more junk dealers started dealing in waste material which is in fact raw material for industry.

No doubt scavengers in the city were already collecting waste material from garbage dumps but Gul Bahao brought up a new brand of waste collectors and a system which was cleaner more organized and in line with the civilized worlds’ methodology of separation at source.

With the fall in the rupee value and imports becoming less competitive the sale of local waste material has risen to unprecedented heights. This has not only favored the middleman, the small businessman but has also led to the availability of cheaper alternative to imported waste material. In other words this is going to have a very good effect on our local industry as with imports becoming expensive local industry is bound to gear up.  Nargis claimed that the easy availability of raw material for industry is to some extent the result of Gul Bahao’s years of hard work and sacrifice.