This Malaysian social entrepreneur wants to change lives by building homes
Every bit the COVID-19 pandemic brings the fault lines in society'due south strata into precipitous focus, the skillful piece of work of non-profit initiatives similar EPIC Homes becomes all the more urgent.
EPIC (Extraordinary People Impacting Communities) Homes has been building houses for the indigenous Orang Asli community in Malaysia for almost a decade.
Since their first home went upwards in 2011, the organisation now has a headcount of over 5,000 volunteers who accept built 163 homes (and counting) for Orang Asli settlements across Peninsular Malaysia.
Arguably, the Orang Asli are Malaysia's most marginalised community, facing issues like country ownership disputes which have left them tenants on their traditional lands. They have also been largely neglected in terms of access to infrastructure, education, healthcare, electricity and piped h2o. According to a study, more than than 12,000 Orang Asli live in unsafe housing atmospheric condition, 82 per cent of whom are in demand of housing assistance.
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This lack of a home of one'due south own resonated deeply with John-Son Oei, co-founder of Epic Homes, who learned from a immature age that having a roof over one'south caput is one of life'due south most important fundamentals.
"My dad passed abroad at a young historic period which left my mom, brothers and me without any means to support ourselves. However, we were fortunate to always accept a friend or family member to offer support materially, emotionally or mentally," he told CNA Luxury.
"One valuable gift we received was the apply of a house which not just gave united states physical shelter, it was where we could build our family and host friends proudly – giving u.s. a stable foundation to dream across our present circumstances. Basically a identify we could phone call home."
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Oei went on to earn a Bachelor'south degree in communications and media at the University of South Australia, before returning to Malaysia to piece of work equally a part-fourth dimension teacher, and later a part-time university inquiry assistant and fitness trainer. But he felt unfulfilled; something was lacking.
"I learnt very early in life that if I didn't find pregnant in something, I would utterly suck at it. Nonetheless, if I believed in something, I would excel," he enthused.
"My dad passed away at a immature age which left my mom, brothers and me without any ways to support ourselves. Nonetheless, we were fortunate to always have a friend or family fellow member to offer support materially, emotionally or mentally." – John-Son Oei
In 2010, Oei and three friends – Jayne Kennedy, Jasmine Ng and Loh Jon Ming – striking upon an thought later seeing a man'south home on the verge of collapse in an Orang Asli village. What if they could develop a modular edifice organization to construct sustainable homes? What if the system were simple enough so that ordinary folk – people with no building expertise – could build their ain homes, or accept volunteers pitch in to aid?
With the assistance of friends and over 40 architects, engineers and designers, the foursome came up with a system that allowed a firm to be put up in as quickly equally 3 days.
From their kickoff project in Kampung Jawa Kerling, an hr-and-a-one-half outside Kuala Lumpur (KL), to remote areas in Kuala Kubu Baru and Batang Kali in Selangor and Gerik in Perak – where the Orang Asli lack basic necessities like shelters and/or latrines – Oei's journey with Ballsy Homes has been, well, naught short of epic.
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Apart from raising funds and building houses, Oei stressed that building relationships is just equally important in the procedure of creating a dwelling house.
"We learned early on in our Epic journey that we demand to establish trust with the family we are building for. Once that is forged, the exchange of data and ideas is eased. This in turn results in solutions that address the family unit's needs and requirements while likewise ensuring the active participation and dignity of the casher," he explained.
To this stop, earlier embarking on a projection, members of Epic Homes ever meet with village heads and villagers in town hall meetings to get acquainted with their struggles and also to assure them that their involvement is not dismissed every bit a one-off initiative.
In 2016, Oei's achievements were internationally recognised: He made the cut equally a Forbes 30 Under 30 candidate. In Dec 2019, when Barack and Michelle Obama were in KL for the inaugural Asia Pacific leaders gathering, EPIC Homes was chosen to run a workshop under the aegis of the Obama Foundation.
"I valuable gift we received was the apply of a firm which not but gave us physical shelter, it… [gave] usa a stable foundation to dream across our present circumstances." – John-Son Oei
Oei also married his co-founder and COO, Kennedy, in 2014. Kennedy herself has garnered awards similar The Edge's Inspiring Young Leaders Award and Women Icons Malaysia, for her tireless efforts in steering the system.
Apart from Epic Homes, the founders take expanded their social enterprise with new projects and initiatives nether its holding organisation EPIC Commonage. It includes Ballsy Communities, a customs-driven evolution arm that engages people to take ownership of their spaces, equally well as Epic Dna, an experiential learning programme that equips people with practical skills to better their lives.
When asked what he's well-nigh proud of achieving, Oei cites the ripple effect that Epic Homes has created.
"A local villager proudly told me how they mobilised themselves to prepare their village water arrangement within two days, because they were inspired that it merely took u.s.a. three days to build a dwelling, and what could exist possible when people came together," stated Oei.
When Malaysia implemented the MCO (Motion Control Order) in March, Ballsy Homes' work was drastically impacted as their activities involve mass gatherings of people. These challenges did non end Oei and his team, who speedily pivoted their efforts to support the nationwide #nooneleftbehind initiative. This entrada involved using the Epic platform and its contacts to assist NGOs in need of quick funding and volunteers, on summit of using technology to reduce authoritative work for them.
On top of that, EPIC launched a collaboration together with other NGOs and the Malaysian government called the Collective for Orang Asli. This allows EPIC to share data to aid map needs, make up one's mind priorities and share resources to ensure that no Orang Asli gets left behind.
"Amongst the astonishing things that we have… is a fleet of over a hundred 4x4 trucks with willing drivers going into the hardest-to-reach areas. We even had a helicopter offered to us! And there are multiple funds that, when combined, make upward for any [shortfall]. It's incredible how fast, and how much yous can practise when you share," Oei said.
"My ultimate hope is that nosotros can utilise the same momentum and organise ourselves better, to not simply assist these people survive the pandemic, but enable them to thrive and requite them the resilience to withstand the shock of such adversities in the hereafter."
"My ultimate hope is that we can… not only help [the Orang Asli] survive the pandemic, but enable them to thrive and requite them the resilience to withstand the shock of such adversities in the future." – John-Son Oei
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