House gift to orang asli family

KUALA LUMPUR: Berjaya Youth (B.Youth) in collaboration with Epic Homes sponsored more than 30 Malaysian youths to build a house for a needy orang asli family in Kampung Batu Dua Belas, Gombak, last month.
All 16 members of the family of Bidah Ban, also known as Mak Bidah, 53, were living in a 400 sq ft house that was dilapidated and unsafe with the roof falling apart and the structure leaning to one side.
Moved by Mak Bidah's plight, B. Youth stepped in to build her a 6 module house, the biggest unit that Epic Homes have, which comes with a verandah and ample space.
"This must be the most challenging project that we have undertaken so far, as the ground was hard, making it very difficult to lay the foundation. But there is an immense satisfaction to be gained from this job, you get the community to believe that there are people who will go out of their way to help people in need," said master builder Shafril Hadi Kamal.
Shafril started as a volunteer with Epic Homes in a project at Hulu Tambun, Batang Kali, and is now with them on a full time basis.
The founder of Epic Homes, Mark Lee, said that the primary objective of Epic Homes is building a bridge between the urban and rural divide through the simple act of building a home.
"We believe that it is through genuine relationships that we learn to listen first, and then understand the real challenges that surround each individual life. This allows for a chance to develop trust, and an opportunity to open up as friends, not strangers," he said.
Berjaya Corporation Berhad corporate communications division senior general manager Judy Tan said they were very delighted with the overwhelming response received when they called for volunteers for this building project.
"This shows that Malaysian youths are aware of the local social issues and are proactive in volunteering their time and effort towards social causes. This project was made possible by a contribution of RM70,000 to Epic Homes by Better Malaysia Foundation during the Berjaya Founder's Day in February this year," she added.
Mak Bidah said she was very excited and could not wait to move into a home that would be safe for her grandchildren.
B. Youth completed the home in three days, finishing at about 7pm on Aug 10 as planned, despite the odds against them like the weather and terrain.