Signing an MoU with the Women’s Aid Organisation in 2016, Rehda Youth uses a unique collaborative CSR model to build the first green child refuge centre for victims of domestic abuse.
In December 2016, tragedy struck. A fire broke out at the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) Child Care Centre, a shelter of refuge for some 16 kids and their mothers who are the victims of domestic abuse.
Hopes were high earlier that same year, as the Real Estate Housing Developers' Association Youth Malaysia (Rehda Youth) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with WAO to rebuild the refuge centre with better facilities and more sustainable features.
Now, work is being done around the clock in order to complete restorations to the children’s shelter as quickly as possible.
"We wanted to design a loving and nurturing home for children, one that wouldn't feel like a shelter or crisis centre," said Rehda Youth Advisor Teo Chui Ping, who is also director of the leading Malaysian green real estate certification body, GreenRE.
"We used green design principles, ensuring sufficient daylight and natural ventilation to create a comfortable living space for children."
A Group Initiative
What catches us by surprise about this project is that it isn’t solely the work of any one entity, but a collaborative effort between Rehda Youth and its network of consultants, contractors, design firms and materials suppliers whose pro-bono services and donated materials have been specially secured according to WAO’s unique needs.
