Conserve (NGO)
Encyclopedia
Conserve is a non-governmental organization
(NGO) launched in India
in 1998 by husband and wife Shalabh and Anita Ahuja.
campaign, asking its citizens to participate in civic initiatives, the conservationist
, Anita Ahuja and her IIT-alumna husband Shalabh rose to the challenge and launched Conserve. With a seed grant from the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), the duo began advocating waste management through seminars and workshops.
Conserve started in the living room of some of Anita Ahuja's friends who were taking up issues like sewage and garbage. In synergy with the local Resident Welfare Association
s (RWA), the Ahujas would also collect the waste of several colonies in a park and then segregate it. Wet kitchen waste would be converted into compost while dry refuse like polythene bags would be put aside
. That project didn't quite work but led her to the idea of doing something about plastic bags.
Over the next two years Ahuja experimented with recycling the bags. She tried weaving them together to create a tarpaulin-like covering for the shacks of slum dwellers. Another time she tried pasting pieces of the polyethylene onto canvas and cardboard. She saw that a thicker fabric could be used to make bric-a-brac like pen holders and file folders, and realized she'd finally found a successful recipe when her homemade products were popular at a fair at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi
. She decided to venture into accessories.
Ahuja’s project has created employment for scores of underprivileged people and also become a solution for solving the problem of plastic waste.
The range has now been extended to creating footwear, cushions, jewellery, lamps, boxes and books.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) launched in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1998 by husband and wife Shalabh and Anita Ahuja.
Inception
In 1998, when the Delhi government launched the BhagidariBhagidari System
The Bhagidari System is an initiative of the government of the state of Delhi in India to promote broad-based civic participation in local governance...
campaign, asking its citizens to participate in civic initiatives, the conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
, Anita Ahuja and her IIT-alumna husband Shalabh rose to the challenge and launched Conserve. With a seed grant from the United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
(USAID), the duo began advocating waste management through seminars and workshops.
Conserve started in the living room of some of Anita Ahuja's friends who were taking up issues like sewage and garbage. In synergy with the local Resident Welfare Association
Resident Welfare Association
A Resident Welfare Association is a civic body that represents the interests of the citizens of a specific urban or suburban locality in Indian cities. Membership is voluntary, and the leadership is usually elected by fee-paying members...
s (RWA), the Ahujas would also collect the waste of several colonies in a park and then segregate it. Wet kitchen waste would be converted into compost while dry refuse like polythene bags would be put aside
. That project didn't quite work but led her to the idea of doing something about plastic bags.
Over the next two years Ahuja experimented with recycling the bags. She tried weaving them together to create a tarpaulin-like covering for the shacks of slum dwellers. Another time she tried pasting pieces of the polyethylene onto canvas and cardboard. She saw that a thicker fabric could be used to make bric-a-brac like pen holders and file folders, and realized she'd finally found a successful recipe when her homemade products were popular at a fair at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. She decided to venture into accessories.
Ahuja’s project has created employment for scores of underprivileged people and also become a solution for solving the problem of plastic waste.
The range has now been extended to creating footwear, cushions, jewellery, lamps, boxes and books.