Photo: Heritage Foundation of Pakistan
A year ago, Shani Dana's mudbrick house was swept away in Pakistan's devastating floods. She was awaiting government money to rebuild when she heard that the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan was building one-room homes in neighboring Pono village. Then the foundation agreed to help her village and 50 new homes were built. HFP homes, made of fully cured bamboo, cost just 25,000 rupees. The lime in the plaster and bamboo absorb and store carbon from the air, helping mitigate effects of the climate crisis. "People are now turning to these low-cost materials that we have been working with for nearly two decades," says HFP project manager Naheem Hussain Shah. "Our design is open source, available free," says award-winning architect Yasmeen Lari. "We can also identify many trained master artisans. It is up to the government. We are there to further the cause." An essential part of her work is involving communities in the rebuilding process so they learn a trade. Local people collect the mud and rice husk, and provide the labor.
|
|
More:
