This is now one of my favourite ways to volunteer.
I signed up as a volunteer to build a house in 3 days for the Orang Asli (indigenous) community with EPIC Homes.
As much as it seemed like a selfless endeavour for others, I walked away feeling like I was the winner.
Volunteer teams, averaging 35 – 40 people led by highly skilled experts, spend a weekend in an Orang Asli village to build a safe home for a family, identified by need.
For 3 days, you sweat it out working with some of the most genuine people on a common goal, the satisfaction of seeing bare ground transform into a safe home for a grateful family as we hand them the keys.
The experience is so good, it gets addictive.
I met so many people on their 5th, 6th, or even 20th house build.
Many builders come back again and again to build more houses while inviting friends, family, co-workers and strangers on the internet to come experience the joy of building. In fact, the entire team building the house are volunteers – from the Master Builder, Specialists, Apprentices to the Experience Coordinators.
EPIC has clear pathways if you would like to keep levelling up, develop leadership skills and get involved. And from your very first build, the joy and satisfaction of the build, the atmosphere and the community will keep you coming back and wanting to do more.
I found myself contracting what they jokingly call Builders Withdrawal Symptom, scouring the EPIC Missions site to look for the next mission to sign up for the moment we finished.
Here’s 5 reasons why you’re going to love it:
You pick up useful life skills most of us have lost touch with,
EPIC trains first-time builders in a one-day Basic Builder workshop at their space in Subang or Ipoh. They take you through the basics of useful skills like drilling, hammering, sawing, etc that you can carry with you beyond the build. My fear around power tools, especially power saws, have diminished now that I’m equipped with the know-how and I can be handy with simple repairs around the house now.
You gain confidence quickly, putting theory into practice.
As each day passes on the build, we went from hesitance to confidence as you get faster and more accurate with the handling. Practice truly makes perfect.
Seasoned builders are also very encouraging with gentle guidance, allowing you the space to try and fail, and try again, until you get it.
You spend time in a healthy, supportive community.
People you surround yourself with makes all the difference.
EPIC’s mission tends to attract a lot of good people. They cultivate a conducive atmosphere for connection, where it’s second nature to be kind, forgiving, and encouraging. Everyone wants everyone to win, and you develop trust with each other and yourself.
This can be nourishing for many who are in a busy corporate rat race, with little chance for connection. There were so many stories of people who showed up burnt out, battling insomnia, and feeling lost; but left sleeping well, contented and with more clarity.
It’s a great way to connect to people from all walks of life on a deeper level over a shared goal. At the end of the build, I still didn’t know what some of my closest teammates did as a job, it just never came up.
It’s great to do with friends. It’s also great to do alone (you’ll make friends fast).
I would recommend this as a meaningful weekend activity as a solo date, friend groups, couples or a team building exercise for workplaces.
You get to spend time and learn more about Indigenous Peoples of Malaysia
You get to know them, their warm, communal spirit and their way of life; beyond anecdotes and lines in a textbook. While we were cautioned that some may be shy, they’re open and welcoming. I learnt about traditional plants they gathered to eat and got to try some, learnt how they navigate their diversity in languages and tribes – all while they gathered and ate communally under the cool shade of the trees throughout the build.
You grow with the people you’re serving.
The Orang Asli community builds with you throughout the 3 days. This helps equip them with the skills to serve their community with maintenance and house repairs they may need in the future.
So the next question is, when are you coming for a build?
Check out the upcoming missions and workshops by EPIC Homes here.
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