U Thant House

U Thant House, a huge bokashi stack in the heart of Yangon

U Thant was one of the most respected leaders of the United Nations, ever. Burmese and foresighted, he talked about sustainability well before it was a thing. His home, in the leafy and somewhat elite suburbs of Yangon, is now a museum — the themes are peace, history, and sustainability. We got involved in December and have been donating our time and skills since then to develop a large-scale bokashi stack that can take care of the never-ending piles of dry leaves that accumulate on the 1.5 acre section.

It’s working really well, and to keep the process of soilmaking moving as quickly as possible we’re taking in market waste from the local market. We need the nitrogen boost from the green waste (which we ferment as bokashi) to trigger the carbon supply in the leaves. It’s our classic green-brown-black mix (more here) and there’s been a lot of interest in our method. On Mondays we often run training sessions for professional gardeners — word is spreading!

Read more about this project in our monthly update here!