EPIC Homes is EPIC’s flagship initiative that aims to build trust and relationships with marginalized communities in order to create cooperative, resilient and sustainable communities through the simple act of building homes, addressing the issue of access to safe housing among marginalized communities. Owning a home is complicated for most, and is a critical issue for those who live in poverty where access to adequate housing becomes even harder. UNDP estimates that 34% of Orang Aslis live in poverty, equivalent to one third of their population. For the Orang Aslis, their homes are deeply linked to their identity, job opportunities, community and the land itself. Without this foundation in place, breaking the poverty cycle becomes all the more harder.

This build was made possible by Tokai Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd. The event was open to a mixture of selected and public volunteers where an exciting weekend awaited them! Volunteers took part in an exciting build and came together as a strong team to impact not just one family but an entire community.

It is hoped that throughout the build, volunteers will develop a deeper understanding of the how the Orang Aslis live and that volunteers put themselves in the shoes of the community, developing a keen sense of empathy. In all that we’re doing for this trip, we are building a closer relationship with the Orang Aslis and also strengthening the relationship and team dynamics amongst the volunteers as well.