What is a Garbyhog Home Builders Club ?
Garbyhog Home Builderâ€™s Club is a fun learning method of instilling in students
abhorrence for our garbage littered way of city living and showing them a practical
way out (vermi-composting).
The club aims at capturing the imagination of children through an entertaining and
informative storybook, rousing their enthusiasm through fun filled activities and
teaching them through a practical project within the school premises. It becomes
all the more relevant today with CBSEâ€™s emphasis on practical environment education.
GHB Clubs not only teach children that waste need not be wasted but also inculcate
in them respect and understanding that even the lowliest creature on Godâ€™s earth
- the composter worm - has an extremely valuable contribution to make and that humans
can best live in harmony with nature and not by misusing or exploiting it. The practical
project is also a hands-on lesson in biology.
What Are Garbyhogs ?
An endearing character named Garbieâ„¢ Garbyhogâ„¢ has been created specifically for
this project. The word Garbyhog is a term coined to denote worms that devour garbage
and turn it into valuable compost. The term is designed to catch a childâ€™s imagination.
What Are Garbyhog Homes ?
Garbyhog Homes are vermi composting beds in which Garbyhogs live, feed on garbage
and produce nutrient rich compost. They also multiply very rapidly.
The Working of GHB Clubs
Fifty Student Members are enrolled. They could be from any class the school deems
fit. We recommend Class VII. Out of these the school will nominate a Captain, a
Vice Captain and four Group Leaders. The remaining 44 children would be divided
into four groups. This is necessary for Group Activities. The Starter Kit is handed
The Starter Kit comprising Fifty Club Badges and Fifty copies of a Book titled â€˜Garbie
Garbyhog â€“ The Worm That Wanted To Flyâ€™, are handed out. Each student member is
given a book and a badge.
An illustrated paper back with a lively four-colour cover, the book is the inspiring
story of an endearing worm named Garbie Garbyhog. The book includes a 12-page illustrated
colour booklet, giving detailed instructions on
a. Building a Garbyhog Home (vermi composting beds)
b. Feeding Garbyhogs
c. Managing a Garbyhog home
d. Harvesting the nutrient rich manure.
The teacher is also provided with a detailed Guideline for Club Activities.
Student members make a Garbyhog Home and a Garbyhog Kitchen (Vermi bed and Feeder
Bed). The beds are made by simply placing two rows of bricks one on top of each
other in a 3â€™ x 3â€™ square on the surface of the ground and require no digging. The
beds are made in any small shaded area in the school front or back garden. The site
chosen needs to have easy access to a water point.
2. Getting Beds Ready for Garbyhogs to come home
For the next fifteen-twenty days student members water and aerate the leaves till
they are softened.
3. Garbyhogs Homecoming
Composter worms are introduced and a talk on vermi-composting is given to the students.
4. Other Activities
Garbyhogs take approximately two months to produce the first lot of compost. During
this time the student members paint posters; make collages or decorative objects
with waste; participate in quizzes and debates; use the Internet to research on
environment related topics and produce a PPT; stage skits etc.
On successful completion of the Project within the allotted time frame, the School
and each Student Member are awarded Certificates.
Start up kit
Comprising fifty books, fifty badges, and Guidelines for Club Activities
Rs 5000/- (Five Thousand only).
The school could procure the following items on its own or could request Environment
Education Promoters to do so.
Two kgs of Composter Worms (Rs. 250/- per kg) - Rs 500/-
One Sieve, one Panji and six pairs of gloves - Rs 300/-
Banner - Rs 200/-
One Hundred Bricks â€“ School to Procure.
Visits - One inaugural visit is provided free of cost. At this visit a demo of the
entire process is shown which can easily be followed by the school. No further visits
are normally required. Should the school require any further visits these would
be billed at Rs. 500/- per visit.
Modern School, Barakhamba Road
Government School, Harola
Environment Education Promoters â€“ a brief profile
Environment Education Promoters is a Resource Centre for Environment
Its first project, Garbyhog Home Builders Club, has been accepted with great enthusiasm
by schools. Since its inception in end September 2005, the project is already underway/completed
in more than thirty private schools in Noida and Greater Noida and New Delhi. It
has also been completed in 12 Government schools of GB Nagar.
EEP is the brainchild of a group of environmentalist, educators, industrialists
and creative people who have come together with the sole intention of doing something
to ensure that resurgent India of the future also emerges as a clean India and that
children grow up aware of the compelling need to live in harmony with nature.
Veena Nagpal - A writer with two published novels and three books for children to
her credit. A free-lance journalist with over a thousand articles and short stories
published in leading Indian newspapers and magazines and a PR professional with
almost twenty years of experience in Corporate Communications and Corporate Social
Cdr. VK Nagpal (Indian Navy Retd.) - Vice President for the past four years of a
Noida based NGO, operating in the area of solid waste management, specifically vermi-composting.
Rear Admiral HC Malhotra - After a long and distinguished career with the Indian
Navy, Admiral Malhotra, has committed himself to social and community welfare, specifically
environment issues. He is the Convenor of the Noida Citizenâ€™s Forum.
Mr. Viney Sahgal - A committed patron for the group, Mr. Sahgal is the owner-Managing
Director of Quality Needles Pvt. Ltd., an export oriented unit manufacturing surgical
suture needles, a critical and precision item. A dedicated environmentalist, Mr
Sehgal is President of the Noida Small Industries Association, Co-Convenor of the
Noida Citizenâ€™s Forum and is actively associated with the All India Manufacturerâ€™s
Mr. ML Babbar - Presently a consultant to several schools and educational foundations,
Mr. ML Babbar is an eminent and highly acclaimed educationist. He has been Chairman
of the National Progressive Schoolsâ€™ Conference and Member Executive Body-NCERT
and Governing Bodyâ€”NCERT, CBSE, SCERT, KVS. Highly awarded, he has been closely
associated with several high powered policy making committeesâ€”New Education Policy
1986, Committees for curriculum development, transaction strategies, examination
reforms, evaluation, teacher training etc.
Besides a number of social activists who have been helping us, the project has also
received the support of the following Organizations from time to time:
Times of India Group
The Indian Navy
DM Gautam Budh Nagar
Quality Needles Pvt Ltd
Kailash Group of Hospitals
Mangalmay Institute of Management and Technology
Frank Brothers Publishers
Indian Pollution Control Association (NGO)
Citizens Environment Improvement Society (NGO)
Centre for Environment Education (NGO)
Please feel free to call Veena Nagpal or Cdr. VK Nagpal at 95120-4340493 or 9811109798(mobile).
It would be our pleasure to meet you personally to discuss this proposal.
GHB Club Members with the President