Hello I’m Ammad Zuberi, I’m sure you’ve heard of the devastating rains and floods that have dislocated 33 million people in Pakistan and put a third of the country under water. I am trying to help a sustainable reconstruction project to help dislocated villagers rebuild their lives in more hygienic and secure spaces.

I spent this summer living through the unprecedented monsoon season in Karachi. I interned with Yasmeen Lari, a renowned architect, whose mission is to be an architect for the poor and create sustainable living spaces and affordable drainage solutions. Ms. Lari’s Heritage Foundation of Pakistan (https://www.heritagefoundationpak.org/Hf) is working with INTBAU (https://www.intbau.org/ ) a global network focused on improving living places by utilizing sustainable resources, traditional building, architecture, and local best practices.

They plan to build model villages in areas that are still under water. These villages are zero-carbon, which means they are made with sustainable materials like bamboo, limestone, and rocks. The infrastructure includes cooking facilities, communal toilets, drainage, a fresh drinking water supply, play areas, and income generating projects. The construction will be done by the villagers and local artisans who will all be trained, and the village will be able to support around 25 bamboo homes.

The Total cost of the village infrastructure is Rs. 2,390,000 ($10,300)
Each Bamboo home costs Rs. 25,000 ($108)

Total Estimated Cost of the Village is approximately $13,000

I want to help Ms. Lari and her team secure the funds to build one entire village. She believes the villagers do not need charity but our help to give them back their livelihoods and dignity. I am not collecting donations right now, just pledges. No amount is too small.

If you would like to contribute, please email me and I will follow up with more details. Thank you for taking the time out to read this and I look forward to hearing from you.

Pledges will be listed at the bottom of this page.

Updates to the project will be added to this page

My email address: ammad.zuberi20@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Ammad

Updates

Drainage has already begun for the flooded areas where the villages will be built. The local artisans will begin training in the Mirpurkhas region this week, September 23 – 28th and then a campus will be set up as soon as the artisans have been trained and can begin working.

Here is a CNN article on Yasmeen Lari’s bamboo housing, sustainable, and humanitarian projects.

Pledges & Donations

I am so glad to say that we’ve been able to secure the roughly $13,000 of funding we needed to build the Chethan Kohli village thanks to all your generosity. The village is being rapidly built and is nearly completed. I am going to visit the village soon and post pictures to show the progress made in the sustainable village thanks to our generous donors.