A nearly 1.3-hectare plot of land in Khatib will be the new site for Ground-Up Initiative’s (GUI) Kampung Kampus, a vibrant community space for people of all ages to come together and learn about sustainability. It will include a farm, amphitheatre, and workshop spaces.

Not only can people participate in hands-on activities such as planting trees and making accessories from upcycled materials, but they can also learn about reducing energy usage.

Multinational corporation Schneider Electric has partnered GUI, the non-profit organisation that operates the space, and provided design and engineering support free of charge to help it be more energy-efficient.

Schneider has also sponsored its Power Monitoring Expert software, which helps GUI monitor its energy usage and provides data-driven insights. This enables it to reduce its carbon footprint and inform its decision-making.

Jackson Seng, vice president of digital energy division for East Asia region at Schneider Electric, said: “The volunteers from Schneider Electric work on the electrical design, look at how to monitor energy consumption, install the power management system, and help to see where the customer can be more efficient… We are going to use this for educational purposes as well.”

There will be explanations for visitors to learn about how energy can be reduced, as well as a screen showing the monitoring software working in real time.

“We have a different audience we can reach out to and show what kinds of solutions are available. This will trigger their thinking or trigger some interest in engineering,” he added.

Seng noted that Schneider and GUI have a shared vision – to contribute to local communities and push for sustainability.

Cai Bingyu, executive director of GUI, said: “What’s important is that the crowd that comes are not just people from the building industry – it’s... the children and the community.”

There are rooms where workshops can be conducted. These education efforts can inspire the public to think about how they can lower their own carbon footprint.

“Being an architect myself, I always wonder how we can contribute to the industry in terms of knowledge. This is where everything comes together nicely – a space where we have industry experts sharing their knowledge and product.”

Involving the community

GUI’s space is scheduled to open in early November, although corporates, volunteers, and the public can already participate in community activities there.

“For everything that we do here, it’s to grow empathy, and it’s very simple – we get people involved in the process as much as possible,” Cai said.

The site – which Cai called a “solution to rapid urbanisation” – serves as a platform for people to connect and give back to the community together, fostering a “kampung” or village spirit.

He also aims to use the space to promote waste management.

“One very simple thing that we want to achieve here is to be a waste sink. So we collect waste from the neighbourhood and turn it into things that are useful... When we do this, we involve people in the process, so that they don’t see waste as something that is alien. Rather, they get excited about wanting to reduce waste,” he explained.

GUI’s ongoing programmes at the space include vegetable harvesting, soil-based farming, and compost-making. Such activities teach people about how they can be sustainable in daily life.

He added: “When corporates are involved, they become a larger mouthpiece and the impact is a lot (greater). This is happening at a crucial time, when the world is increasingly becoming more divided and the climate crisis is getting worse, and we need more urgency.” Cai said that involving the community will “naturally” enable people to “fall in love with Earth again” and take better care of the planet.

“Self-sustainable” volunteering culture

This year, Schneider launched its inaugural Volunteering Season in August – a six-week programme mobilising more than 300 employees in Singapore. Besides helping out at GUI, they also participated in beach clean-ups, house refreshes, youth-mentoring initiatives, and food delivery.

Seng said: “The objective is to encourage employees to volunteer more and take part in activities that contribute to local communities.”

Schneider’s volunteering approach is more systematic now compared to before, when initiatives occurred on a more ad-hoc basis. Seng hopes to create a more “self-sustainable” volunteering culture at the company, where younger employees take more initiative and come up with new ideas and activities.

For its efforts, Schneider was recognised by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre as a Champion of Good for the second year in a row, and certified as a Great Place to Work for the fourth year running.
 

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