Written by: Mehr Jan
Posted on: December 06, 2019 | 
5Mailay's Safai Drive at Trail 5
If you ever get bored with monotonous Sunday plans, there’s always the option to play your part in bringing about a cleaner Islamabad, and volunteering for “5 Mailay Aur Unkay Thailay” (“Five Dudes and their Bag”)’s safai (clean-up) drive. Over the past 15 months, this exciting initiative has conducted over 45 safai drives in different parts of Islamabad, and have recovered and properly disposed off over 2100 kg (or 262 bags) of trash.
The campaign was initiated in August 2018, by five friends who believed that a clean environment is every citizen’s responsibility, and even a small role can make a difference. The peculiar name ‘5 Mailay Aur Unkay Thailay’, was made to challenge the idea that only those from the lower strata of society are expected to pick and sort through our collective trash. The self-funded project aims to keep Pakistan’s capital free from litter and trash accumulation, as organizers conduct weekly drives for the public areas of Islamabad, as well as the sections prone to large scale littering.
4 out of 5 of the Core Team Members
One of the founding members Malaika Riasat, spoke to Youlin Magazine about the origins and aims of the project. She explained that this initiative was supposed to be a one-time event. However, due to the overwhelming response from the public, as well as on social media, it quickly escalated into a continuous community campaign. Now, volunteers come for two hours every Sunday, in an effort to clean a particular part of Islamabad, while advocating the importance of civic duty to the city as a whole.
5Mailay cleaning up F-11 Markaz
Pick & Advocate Against Plastic
The “5Mailay” campaign operates through two branches: anti-littering advocacy and limitation of single-use plastic. “While targeting places which are crowded and prone to extreme littering, like marketplaces, the idea is to explain the health hazards around the irresponsible disposal of garbage, as well as limiting waste production,” said Malaika.
She emphasized how the entitlement of certain segments of society makes them shun the collective task of proper garbage disposal, and this has disastrous effects for everyone. For instance, people dump trash on the road, assuming it will be picked up by the socio-economically disadvantaged. And these workers are never really appreciated by the public. This is where “5Mailay” come in, showing people that young, educated citizens can and should come together, to not only pick up trash, but also cooperate with those who do so on a regular basis.
5Mailay Team Members Malaika Riasat and Mariam Saleem Farooqi
So far, marketplaces have been a popular spot to clean-up, as they also allow the team an opportunity to speak to shopkeepers about ways to manage the accumulated waste, through proper divisions and disposal for different materials. And so far, they have been successful in their efforts to convince shopkeepers. While the Market Union has supported the organization’s demand for abundant and easily accessible bins, “5Mailay” also partnered with the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI)’s Department of Sanitation, to coordinate cleaning efforts with the appropriate city departments.
The Team and Volunteers at Sangam Market
These collaborations help, but only to a certain extent. Malaika emphasized the need to keep proper documentation for important statistics, like the number of dumpsites and bin placements, as well as including biodegradable waste disposal options. She added, “We hope the government will move forward from its conventional framework, to focus on ways to combat environmental degradation. We have been meeting and regularly presenting ways to the Sanitation Department on how to control improper wastage disposal…”
Irfan Ahmed cleaning up a dump site on Hill Road
However, they acknowledge that it may be long before their ideas are implemented in Islamabad, much less the other major cities. As a self-funded campaign, it is difficult to establish large scale clean-up plans, but the members of the group continue to advocate for a cleaner environment by reaching out to young people specifically. Until then, they are focused on teaching citizens, specifically students, about the importance of being responsible for their own trash.
What’s Next?
Malaika is hopeful that the next generation will be more environmentally responsible and proactive. “We have been trying to reach out to schools and have even conducted presentations on the need to dump wastage properly. This includes teaching garbage sorting, how to make compost from organic based materials and how to recycle the remains. We are in continuous talks with local schools, and we will even take students to our drives to show them the immense effort it takes to clean all the litter. We will also focus on how disastrous plastic usage is to the environment and our health.”
5Mailay conducting a safai drive in F-10 with HogaSaaf Pakistan
What can you do right now!
While Pakistan’s capital is the primary location for the organization’s activities, Malaika has been getting in touch with people from other cities who are doing similar projects. She shared a few tips for everyone to follow, so as to reduce plastic usage and waste accumulation on an everyday basis.
Properly Disposing Garbage
“If you look into your everyday lifestyle, we use plastic a lot. Just by making small changes, like shunning the usage of plastic bottles or opting out of using plastic cups and plates at eateries, we can make a difference. For compost, I have dug a hole in my lawn to dispose of anything organic. These changes will help in the long run. Don’t think it doesn’t make a difference. Every time you say no to plastic or properly sort and dispose your waste, you help make your city a cleaner and better place to live.”
For details on upcoming safai drives, check out the project’s official Facebook or Instagram @5Mailay, or check out the events page on Youlin’s website. All photo credits go to 5Mailay.
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