The social enterprise has been building homes in Kampung Orang Asli Gurney, nestled deep within the forests of Ulu Yam, Selangor since 2018.
Witnessing the impact of this initiative – spanning 212 houses across 21 villages in Selangor, Perak, Kelantan, and Johor – Yee Kuat helped extend this effort to other Orang Asli villages. And he didn’t stop there.
He also established Umah Buloh Restaurant in his village, set to open later this year, offering authentic Temuan delicacies while creating jobs for his community. He also ventured into farming to promote healthy eating habits.
For John-Son Oei, co-founder and CEO of Epic, stories like Yee Kuat’s epitomise the social enterprise’s success since its inception in 2010.
“Our goal from the start has been to empower community members who were once in need, to be the ones who are returning that help to their fellow members,” Oei, 37, shared with FMT Lifestyle.
Epic started with a modest project: building a toilet as well as painting houses in an Orang Asli village.
However, when they saw the extremely dilapidated homes some of them lived in, the team sprung into action, mobilising local and urban volunteers to help them build safe housing. They’ve never looked back.
They also initiated Project 100 with the goal of consistently building 100 homes per year for 100 families.
In partnership with the government, Epic seeks to match every house funded (it costs around RM60,000 to build one house) with government support, effectively doubling their impact.
This initiative is critical, as nearly 12,000 Orang Asli families still lack safe homes, according to Oei.
So far, Epic has trained over 8,000 volunteers – students, young working adults and corporate workers – under their Basic Builder Workshop.
Under this initiative, prefabricated parts are transported to respective villages, where volunteers assemble them, akin to a Lego set. Epic has worked with multiple experts in an iterative process to ensure quality control of the design process before building begins.
Typically, volunteers called the Pathfinders venture into Orang Asli villages, laying the groundwork and forging connections. Priority is given to those living in structurally unsound or overcrowded homes.
When plans are in place and the volunteers are on standby, construction commences, guided by seasoned master builders over a dedicated three-day weekend.
These days, said Oei, trained members from Orang Asli communities “go, explain and train the new communities and model out to them how they can work together to complete the entire village. As a result, we’re starting to see a huge increase in participation from the local community. This has been very encouraging”.
Indeed, at the heart of their mission is community empowerment. Oei emphasised their collaborative approach, engaging local residents in the construction process and facilitating partnerships with NGOs and government agencies.
“What’s most important is that the local communities have a space to express what their aspirations are and what they would like to pursue and we would help them with that.”
To nurture local talent, they organise boot camps, providing training and resources for aspiring entrepreneurs. Additionally, they’re exploring bamboo as a sustainable alternative for housing materials, aiming to involve the Orang Asli in the supply chain.
Looking ahead, Oei envisions expanding Epic’s impact beyond peninsular Malaysia, to Sabah and Sarawak, and beyond. They aim to refine their model through Project 100 and share their experiences with others.
“We’re not there yet. I still believe we need some time to fine-tune it. That’s what Project 100 is about, in a way. How do we do this at scale? Experience it, go through it, and document it. And then share this with other people,” Oei concluded.
To learn more, visit Epic Homes’ website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.