IT all started in 2010 when Epic Homes co-founder John Son Oei and friends decided that if they wanted to get something done, the only way was to get their hands dirty and just do it.

So, they began their journey of helping the community with what was then a side project called Epic Project.

“We had this perception that people only cared about themselves, and had the ‘tidak apa’ (couldn’t-care-less) attitude but there are actually many Malaysians who care and want to do things and contribute to society,” Son told The Malaysian Insight.

The friends decided on their first project – to repaint 12 houses in an Orang Asli village near Kuala Kubu Baru.

But that was not the only thing they ended up doing for the village. It turned out that the Orang Asli needed more than a paint job. They needed a toilet.

A chat with one of the contacts in the village revealed that the homes were built without toilets and the Orang Asli had to relieve themselves behind bushes.

“That was a very troubling thing to hear. So, we decided that we should build a toilet for the village and we did it with the help of volunteers and strangers,” said Son.

The toilet was not only meant for the villagers, he said, but also for the teachers who taught the Orang Asli children, who dropped out of school.

“With that toilet, at least the teachers may want to come more frequently or stay longer to teach the Orang Asli children,” said Son.

They went around to get sponsors to cover the cost of building the latrine, which came out to about RM3,500 inclusive of transport, meals for volunteers and materials.

Their efforts were publicised on Facebook and within a short time, they had more than 50 volunteers for the project.

The success of the first project got them excited and that was when they came across a man with a home that was falling apart.

“Some of the walls were missing. There were holes on the floor… the roof was partially collapsed.”

At first, they wanted to raise funds and get the old man a proper home.

“We had a mindset of ‘Oh, you poor Orang Asli, let me help you’. That was back then. We missed out on the relationship and we were looking at them like they were victims.

“But then, we asked ourselves how can we do it differently,” said Son.

That was when they came up with the plan of building a house in three days and getting volunteers to work on it.

It took Son and friends about seven months to convince a developer to come on board and support their project.

With the help of the developer, building professionals and volunteers, they managed to build the home within three days.

What just started as idle talk among friends soon became a full-time project for Son and friends.

“We wanted to create a platform to give the opportunity to the people to serve, because people genuinely want to do something. They just do not know how and often they just put money in the donation box.

“Companies started approaching us, wanting to be part of the project. To make it sustainable, we have come up with a few ideas and managed to rope in foundations and organisations to build homes for the community,” said Son.

Son and his friends set up Epic Homes, selling the idea of building homes for the underprivileged as part of self-development and team-building.

He said some companies just wanted to sponsor the cost of building homes, while others wanted to also be a part of the team building it.

“So those who would sponsor a home, we will open the slot to public volunteers where they can register and join us in building homes. We do not make any profit from building the homes,” said Son.

The houses come in many different models, depending on the size of the family, ranging from RM43,000 to RM55,000 a home.

Epic Homes has so far built 98 homes in five states since 2010. The 100th will be built next month.

The organisation has roped in 5,000 volunteers since its first project. Among them are friends, locals and those who come from other parts of the world to lend a hand in building better homes for the unfortunate.

“The projects do not end when the house is erected but it’s more a beginning. It bridges the gap between two communities that would otherwise never interact with one another in normal circumstances.

“It brings other opportunities to the sponsors and individuals to do more for the same community in the future,” said Son. – April 4, 2017.