The view of Sumatran mountains was majestic! There was no tourist but a group of Singapore and Indonesian volunteers working together to build a stand-alone house called Rumah Mandiri or the Self-Reliant House on top of a mountain. Indeed it was prime real estate—the eco-house situated on top of a mountain surrounded by other mountains and ginger farm.
Surrounding the Self-Reliant House is the vision. The vision is to inspire families to be proud owners of Self-Reliant Houses with bountiful vegetable gardens.
On 9 April, the Governor of South Sumatra flew in by helicopter to officiate the opening of the Self-Reliant House. It became a historical event because this was the first official visit by a Governor since 1945. It was also the first time for the Governor to lay the plaque for a rustic house built on a 120 square meters of land. It is not the protocol for a Governor to attend an opening ceremony of a tiny house. However, because of his love for his people, the Governor took the time to visit the communities and Rumah Mandiri.
On the first open day for the communities, visitors stopped to admire the bamboo waterfall that shot to a height of 3 meters and flowed into a mini fishpond. The cascading waterfall symbolized how family members could work together and to grace the grand occasion, the water-lily flower blossomed, with fishes swimming happily.
However, what impressed the Governor and his team was the significance of the Self-Reliant House:
§ A small house with a big impact.
§ Adapts the 3 S’s – small, simple & sustainable.
§ Eco-friendly, energy-efficient & cost-effective.
§ Adopts “From Garden To Kitchen” concept.
§ Promotes cleanliness & hygiene.
§ Reduces the risk of bird flu.
§ Eliminates mosquito breeding places.
§ Implements several micro enterprises.
§ Involves every family member, thus creating family bonding.
§ Improves the lives of family members & raises the standard of living.
§ Attempts to reduce the flow of rural-urban migration.
§ Provides a partial solution to Asian poverty.
If you wish to make a difference in people’s lives through community development, please contact Vision Network at enquiries@visionnetwork.org or call Ben Tan at +65 9648 5765.
Dr Eric Tan, Dr Shirley Ong, Mr Yap Kiat Hock, Mr Alvin Chey with the Governor Of South Sumatra (in gray uniform) & former Speaker Of Parliament (in kakhi uniform).
Self-Reliant House comes with a goat shed.
Bamboo waterfall symbolizes how family members work together.
Dr John Chow at Self-Reliant House: Eco-friendly, Energy-efficient & Cost-effective.