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00:00 Building with mud is nothing new.
00:04 We've been doing it since the time humankind has existed.
00:08 When you talk about mud building, to a lot of people the first thing that they'll say is,
00:12 "Oh, but it requires a lot of maintenance."
00:14 But that's not true.
00:16 They will last you, well, at least a hundred years if built right.
00:19 Sustainable living is embedded in our DNA.
00:22 Most of us remember our grandmothers, our grandfathers,
00:26 had a very sustainable lifestyle.
00:28 Everything would be thrown away.
00:30 It's only in the recent past we've started moving away from it.
00:34 And saving, recycling became no longer virtues.
00:39 What became virtues was an economy of waste.
00:43 My name is Shagun, and I'm the founder of Gili Methi.
00:56 One of the reasons I got interested in natural building is because
01:00 natural building is never limited to the structure.
01:03 It is about how you live.
01:06 If you want to start leading a more sustainable lifestyle,
01:10 where do you get the information from?
01:12 That's why this particular space was created as a center of excellence,
01:17 as a demonstration center, as a research cum training center,
01:21 for leading a sustainable lifestyle.
01:24 [Music]
01:26 The organization started with our first workshop in 2016.
01:37 Our workshops say intensive natural building course,
01:41 or permaculture design certification course,
01:44 or a water management course.
01:46 But once people come in, the first thing that we tell them is,
01:49 that's not all that you're going to be learning.
01:51 [Music]
01:53 While they live over here,
01:56 they experience what sustainable living is all about.
02:00 All the way from living in actual mud structures,
02:03 to what are they washing their clothes with,
02:05 to what are they brushing their teeth with.
02:07 Every single aspect of their life is covered while they're living over here.
02:11 [Music]
02:14 We have participants who are two years old,
02:18 and we have participants who are 95 years old.
02:21 There are people who have no experience,
02:23 and then we have professionals.
02:25 They come over because they want to start living a sustainable life.
02:29 When we talk about mud building, there are several techniques.
02:34 Within each of these techniques, there's a huge number of variables.
02:38 Our goal is to simplify it.
02:40 There are different kinds of soil depending on where you live,
02:43 and what kind of rocks and minerals are present in that area.
02:47 Clay soil, sandy soil, straw, and water.
02:51 The four things we will mix together,
02:53 and that is your most common building material.
02:56 Even a bird, even an insect,
02:59 knows how to build a shelter for themselves,
03:01 and that's just why our goal has been to empower people,
03:05 and train them to feel confident building a beautiful,
03:09 happy, sustainable, ecological shelter for themselves and their families.
03:16 Mud buildings are brilliant,
03:18 because it controls the humidity for you,
03:20 besides controlling the temperature.
03:22 When you talk about sustainable living,
03:31 you have to start involving the community.
03:33 We have weekly meetings with the villagers,
03:36 whether that is starting to train people,
03:38 so that they also learn about natural construction,
03:41 they learn about different forms of farming,
03:44 or taking up livelihood opportunities.
03:47 Kili Mitti has been successful in terms of the number of lives we've impacted.
03:52 The magic of mud.
03:55 How beautifully can you build with mud?
04:02 The flexibility of the movement,
04:05 all the free-flowing designs, the organic shape.
04:08 I've done everything from digging,
04:12 to carrying, to building.
04:14 For me, it was super transformative.
04:17 I've learnt everything from Shagun Didi.
04:20 I've learnt how to build houses,
04:23 I've learnt everything.
04:25 I've been the one who has done most of the work.
04:29 The villagers have also seen that this is a big village,
04:32 and that everyone has worked hard.
04:34 Once I went to Kili Mitti,
04:40 Didi told me that she can cook,
04:43 or she can't cook.
04:45 There's a tiffin for the villagers,
04:46 I pack it in the tiffin,
04:47 deliver it there,
04:49 and come home.
04:51 A natural tendency of humankind
04:56 is that we want to be of service,
04:59 and we want to think beyond ourselves.
05:02 When people ask, "How can we get started?"
05:04 "What can we do for the planet?"
05:06 You start small.
05:08 Segregate your waste into biodegradable,
05:11 or non-biodegradable.
05:13 You are preventing 70-80% of waste
05:16 going into the landfill.
05:18 Once you've done that,
05:20 ensure all people around you do it.
05:22 Make that into a movement.
05:24 If you start anything new,
05:28 there's going to be a time period
05:29 where you're going to be learning new skills.
05:31 You have to stick with it.
05:33 Enjoy the change,
05:35 enjoy being uncomfortable.
05:38 Football!
05:40 If you want to do good,
05:42 there is far too much opportunity available.
05:45 You just have to be determined
05:47 and disciplined about it.
05:48 That this is something that I am going to do,
05:51 no matter what.
05:52 [Music]