“Building a better future” could be the tagline for the EPIC Homes team. A multiple awardwinning social enterprise that designs and creates collaborative platforms enabling ordinary citizens to positively impact communities, the EPIC team is shaping the world, one building block at a time.

“We just want to create positive impact on someone’s life,” says founder and CEO John-son Oei. “It doesn’t matter that it’s a small step in the grand scheme of things; it still has an effect.”

The EPIC story is an intriguing one. It all started with a dinner conversation, where John-son and his friends discussed the possibility of solving local issues through community work. A search for small projects that could bring like-minded people together with the intention to bring about positive change followed, and soon word got around that a man from a village in Batang Kali had a potential housepainting project.

Upon arriving at the site, someone asked where the toilet was and discovered that the village toilets weren’t completed. The entire settlement, in fact, had no toilets, and thus the “toilet-building and painting project” born. Using that as a platform, the EPIC team then turned their focus on building homes, first using a contractor, before getting into the thick of things, construction-wise. “On one of our trips, we discovered a man living in a dilapidated shack and that really affected us, so we started devising a plan to help him build a home.”

EPIC stands for Extraordinary People Impacting Community where it is currently is driving an initiative named EPIC Homes; a system that empowers ordinary people to build sustainable homes within three days, and develop relationships with the rural poor while doing so. “We picked three days because most people don’t have much time to spare,” he explains.

Becoming part of the EPIC Army (as it’s called), is fairly straightforward. “There are three means – first we identify a family in need, then we raise funds for the project, and then we build a house,” states John-son. “It’s easy to get involved.”

As the orang asli (indigenous) community is a priority, volunteers who already have connections with the community such as NGOs, government officials, and faith-based groups are encouraged to build upon and expand on these relationships, in order to secure the next project. Becoming a builder is the easiest and most convenient way to contribute, with volunteers contributing a fee to the project that covers the cost of accommodation, transportation, food, and logistics.

If a lack of construction knowledge poses a threat, the EPIC team has got it covered. “All builders undergo a five-hour course to learn the basics of construction,” he says. “As it happens, builders also gain more knowledge and guidance onsite itself, but we came up with the workshop to ensure that the quality of the building process is always there.”

The beauty about EPIC is that each person involved in the process has only one goal in mind: to do what it takes, within their means, to help another person. To date, the organisation has built 17 homes and the team is steamrolling ahead to take on more projects in the months to come, in line with their motto of “producing impacts of epic proportions.”

Being a part of the organisation doesn’t necessarily mean just building a home. As John-son explains, the friendships made and the skills gained through the process are priceless. “We’ve gotten people from all over the world coming out to help us,” he says. “Whether they were in Malaysia for an extended period or just passing through, we have had people from Japan, the USA, Sweden, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand getting involved.”

Indeed, the EPIC work has not been limited to bridging gaps. Most see it as a unique opportunity to build rich relationships and gain skills in an area they otherwise would not have delved in. “There are multiple benefits within the whole process. Some people see it as an adventure, while others come out to help people who need it, or even just lend an ear to make someone feel like they are significant,” John-son explains. “There is something to gain for everyone. “

Ever the optimist, John-Son believes that EPIC homes has the capacity to revolutionize rural development and in turn, positively impact high-need communities in ways not done before. In his own words: “Most people want to help, they just are not entirely sure what platforms to pursue, and that’s where we come in. We’ve set targets and if we achieve them, we can create history.”

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If you would like to get involved with EPIC Homes, visit epichome.org or call +603.5613 5683 for further information. “Like” Epic Homes on Facebook (Epic Army) and follow them on Twitter @epic_army to receive updates on news and upcoming projects.

Source: The Expat November 2013

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