Rebuilding the Womens’ Aid Organisation’s Child Refuge Centre (1st Platinum rated Green child refuge centre in Malaysia)

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In January 2016, REHDA Youth signed a MOU with the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) to rebuild their Child Refuge Centre. The Centre is home to 16 kids sometimes with their mothers and acts as a shelter for child victims of domestic abuse. The Centre also acts as a base for WAO to provide specialised child counselling therapy to traumatised children.

Due to a fire that broke out at the home in December 2016, the rebuilding has become more urgent as the house is no longer habitable.

Instead of the usual route of fund raising and monetary donations, REHDA Youth decided to adopt a unique CSR model that invites industry participation in kind. To this end, REHDA Youth will project manage the construction of the home and utilising its resources through its various network of consultants, contractors and building materials suppliers have garnered donations of pro-bono services and building materials in kind.

The home has been designed to cater specifically WAO’s needs, a modern facility to house 16 kids with 3 full time caretakers, with adequate numbers of bathrooms and toilets, a communal dining hall with facilities for study rooms, child counselling and a small administration office for the WAO.

In line with one of REHDA Youth’s pillars, the home has been designed to fulfil the criteria as a Platinum-rated green building under GreenRE’s rating system. This will greatly benefit the WAO as it reduces operating costs of the home by at least 30% due to the efficient use of utilities such as electricity and water. Moreover, the use of low VOC paints and adhesives, green-certified timber and building materials ensures a healthy living environment for the children.

The project has received planning approval in May 2018 from MBPJ and building is slated to commence in April of 2019 upon receiving building approval.

REHDA Youth and the WAO are very grateful for the kind support of the following consultants who have provided their services on a pro-bono basis:

 

We are equally grateful to the following sponsors who have kindly donated building materials and services towards the building of the home: