Go back to kampung life, right here in Nee Soon?
In the former Bottle Tree Park, you can find Ground-Up Initiative (GUI), an organization that believes in the 5Gs- “Gracious, Green, Giving, Grounded and Grateful”. True to its ethos, the activities there let you experience nature and kampung life. Many of them are unique to GUI, so you’ll really be missing out if you don’t check them out!
1.Woodworking and upcycling
In a half-day woodworking workshop, you can learn how to “upcycle” furniture—turn old furniture into stylish and unique pieces.
These are offered by the carpentry arm of GUI, Touchwood.
2.Buy naturally grown vegetables
At Farmily, the farming arm of GUI, you can buy naturally grown produce every Saturday morning. The produce is pending organic certification, but you can rest assured that there are no chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Farmily employs senior citizens to give them an income and a sense of purpose and community. So the vegetables come with extra love from our seniors!
3.Community and environmental leadership programmes
WOW Kampung is the education arm of GUI and has been operating for about 5 years. It offers a myriad of community and environmental leadership programmes, from cohort-wide camps to 2-hour learning journeys. The programmes are not just for schools and organisations, but also individuals, so do contact them if you’re interested.
GUI also has event spaces for rental, so you can run your company, school or community event in a soothing place, away from the distractions of urban life.
After Chong Pang grassroots organisations helped them to secure the land, GUI is building a Kampung Kampus in the former Bottle Tree Park. When the campus is done, they will be able to offer more unique back-to-nature experiences for Nee Soon residents. Keep a lookout!
If you’re inspired by GUI’s philosophy, you can volunteer with them or contribute to their building fund. Find out more at their website and Facebook page.
Photos partly courtesy of GUI.