COMMUNITY SERVICE INITIATIVE (CSI)
DIVERSITY PROJECT JOURNAL
SITE : SRI TIOMAN I
TO ENGAGE WITH THE REAL COMMUNITY AND WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM FOR ARCHITECTURAL, CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCING ACTIVITIES WITH THE COMMUNITY.
31ST MARCH 2018 - SITE VISIT TO SRI TIOMAN 1
IN THIS WEEK WE VISITED THE SITE AT SRI TIOMAN 1 AND DECIDE WHETHER TO JOIN THE "DIVERSITY PROJECT" FOR OUR GROUP.
THROUGH THE VISIT, WE LEARNED THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE IN HELPING THE PPR TEAM FOR THIS DIVERSITY PROJECT BY PROVIDING IDEA AND WORK FOR THE TEAM. LOOKING AT THE SITE, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A FEW MAIN ISSUE, WHERE THE FIRST THING IS LACK OF IDENTIFICATION AND WAYFINDING. AS WE GOT INTO SRI TIOMAN 2 INSTEAD OF SRI TIOMAN 1 BEFORE VISITING THE SITE, IT IS CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE AN IDENTIFICATION OF SRI TIOMAN 1 AND IN THE SITE, THE SITE WAS VERY DULL AND SAD DUE TO THE LACK OF DECORATIVE ELEMENTS LIKE ARTS AND MURALS. ALSO, THE SANITARY, HYGIENE AND LACK OF MAINTENANCE CUSES THE RESIDENTS NOT ABLE TO LIVE COMFORTABLY AS THEY WISH.
AFTER THE SITE VISIT, WE MADE OUR DECISION TO JOIN THE DIVERSITY PROJECT.
7TH APRIL 2018 - PAINTING OF PEG BOARD
IN THIS DAY, WE WERE ASKED TO VISIT THE SITE TO HELP WITH THE PPR TEAM TO PAINT THE PEG BOARD AND PREPARATIONS.
WHEN WE WERE PAINTING THE PEG BOARD, SOME CHILDREN CAME DOWN FROM THEIR UNITS AND JOIN US FOR THE ACTIVITY. DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WE WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH SOME OF THE CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS OF SRI TIOMAN 1, ALSO WITH THE PLAN THAT MR. HUAT PROVIDE FOR THE CHILDREN TO DRAW ON THEIR IDEAS, WE HAVE A BRIEF IDEA OF INTRODUCING SOME MURAL ARTS ON SITE.
8TH APRIL 2018 - FIRST INTERACTION AND INTERVIEW
IN THIS DAY, WE WENT TO THE SITE TO INTERVIEW THE RESIDENTS AS THEY HAVE A BANQUET EARLIER IN THE MORNING.
AS SOME OF THE RESIDENTS ARE UNPLEASANT AND REFUSE TO BE INTERVIEW, IT BECAME A CHALLENGE FOR US TO SEEK FOR POTENTIAL INTERVIEWEES TO OBTAIN INFORMATION . AFTER A FEW TRIAL AND ERROR, WE MANAGE TO INTERVIEW SOME ADULTS, TEENAGERS AND CHILDREN OF THE IDEA OF HAVING MURAL ARTS ON SITE. WE FOUND OUT THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING THE GAZEBO ON SITE TO BE DECORATED WITH ARTS WITH A SIGNAGE PROVIDED, THIS IS DUE TO THE GAZEBO BEING NEGLECTED AS IT WAS IN POOR CONDITION AND THEY HOPE THAT WE COULD PROVIDE SOME BEAUTIFUL ARTS USING OUR ARCHITECTURE KNOWLEDGE.
25TH APRIL 2018 - SECOND SITE VISIT AND MEETING WITH PPR
AS OUR GROUP DECIDED TO WORK ON THE GAZEBO ON SITE, WE WENT TO SRI TIOMAN 1 FOR MEASUREMENT AND FURTHER UNDERSTANDING OF THE RESIDENTS NEEDS.
THE TEENAGERS WERE HANGING OUT AT THE GAZEBO WHEN WE ARRIVE. WE MANAGE TO INTERVIEW A FEW OF THEM AND ALSO MET THE COMMITTEE MEMBER OF SRI TIOMAN 1.
WE REALIZE THAT THE GAZEBO WAS NOT TOO FREQUENTLY USED BY RESIDENTS OTHER THAN DURING EVENTS AND TIMES WHEN THE TEENAGERS PLAY SPORT AT THE COURTYARD. THEREFORE WE DECIDED TO GIVE AN IDENTITY TO THE GAZEBO BY BUILDING A SIGNAGE AND PAINT WORK ON IT.
WITH THE HELP FROM THE PPR TEAM, WE MANAGE TO REVISE OUR PROPOSAL TO A BETTER ONE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
20TH MAY 2018 - SURVEY TASK AND MEASUREMENT
STUDENTS WERE ASK TO HELP THE PPR TEAM WITH A SURVEY TASK AT EVERY UNIT OF SRI TIOMAN 1. SOME OF THE RESIDENTS ARE GLAD TO HELP US WITH THE SURVEY WHEREAS THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE NOT COOPERATIVE WITH US AND REFUSE TO HELP WITH THE INTERVIEW.
WE LEARNED THAT THE RESIDENTS HAS A WRONG PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THIS DIVERSITY PROJECT AND MADE OUR TASK HARDER TO EXECUTE. HOWEVER, WE MANAGE TO DO SOME SURVEY WITH A FEW UNITS AND NOT GIVE UP EVEN IF THEY ARE PASSIVE AND RELUCTANT TO HELP.
1ST AND 2ND OF JUNE 2018 - PREPARATION OF MOCK UP
AS OUR FIRST PROPOSAL WAS NOT BEING EXECUTED, WE PICKED UP A PROPOSAL FROM OTHER GROUP WHICH IS TO BEAUTIFY THE WASTE COLLECTION AREA.
OUR GROUP CAME UP WITH THE DESIGN WHERE WE SUGGEST TO PUT UP SOME MURAL THAT IS INFORMATIVE THAT SERVES AS A REMINDER FOR THE RESIDENTS AT SRI TIOMAN 1. WITH THE IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM THE RESIDENTS, WE DECIDED TO DO A MOCK UP OF THE MURAL WITH COMPOSTING AND RECYCLING INFORMATION TO BE AT THE WASTE MANAGEMENT AREA SO THAT EVERY TIME WHEN THEY PASS BY THE PLACE, THEY WILL REMIND THEMSELVES OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SHOULD DO TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT.
3RD JUNE 2018 - FINAL PRESENTATION TO RESIDENTS
ALL THE STUDENTS GATHERED AT SRI TIOMAN 1 TO PRESENT THEIR MOCK UP TO THE RESIDENTS.
AS THE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND MALAY BETTER, WE PRESENTED OUR IDEA USING MALAY TO HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION AND SUGGESTED SOME NEW IDEAS FOR THE RESIDENTS IF THEY WERE TO DO MURAL ART THERE. ALSO, WE HANDED OUR REMAINING PAINT TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBER TO EASE THEM AT STARTING THEIR MURAL ART.
FINAL PERSONAL THOUGHTS
HAVING A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS DIVERSITY PROJECT, OBSERVING THE SITE AND UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS AT SRI TIOMAN 1, I LEARNED THAT BEING PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING IS THE KEY TO THE PROJECT. AS THE RESIDENTS HAVE A WRONG PERSPECTIVE ON THE DIVERSITY PROJECT WHEN WE BEGIN, WE HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF PATIENCE TO EXPLAIN TO THE RESIDENTS AND CONVINCE THEM TO TAKE PART IN THE PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THEIR THOUGHTS AND NEEDS.
ALSO, BY STEPPING OUT OF MY OWN COMFORT ZONE THAT IS FROM A DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASS THAN THE RESIDENTS AT SRI TIOMAN 1 AND PUTTING MYSELF IN THEIR SHOE HELPS IN THE PROJECT. AS THE LIVING CONDITION IN SRI TIOMAN 1 HAS POOR SANITARY AND FACILITIES, WE TRY TO CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO HELP WITH THE PLACE. WE TRIED TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY FIRST WITH THE CHILDREN AS THEY FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE WITH THE OUTSIDER AND THE ADULTS ARE MUCH MORE DEFENSIVE COMPARE TO THEM. WE SPEND OUR TIME TO ENGAGE WITH THEM AND TRY TO INVESTIGATE THE SITE BY OBSERVING ALL THE DETAILS AND ANALYZING THE INFORMATION PROVIDED FROM INTERVIEWS. WORKING EFFICIENTLY BE CONSIDERATE OF WHAT WE PROPOSE AND DO AT SRI TIOMAN 1 IS IMPORTANT AS WE DO NOT WANT TO RAISE ANY SENSITIVE ISSUE AND MISUNDERSTANDING OF US GIVING THINGS TO THEM BECAUSE WE THINK THAT THEY NEED THEM BUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR NEEDS. THIS HAD ALSO MADE ME REFLECT ON MYSELF OF MYSELF THAT I HAVE A LOT MORE THAN I THINK, APPRECIATE THEM AND TRY TO HELP OUT THE OTHERS THAT ARE IN NEED.
BY HAVING A LOT OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE RESIDENTS AND UNDER GOING THE THINKING PROCESS FOR A PROPOSAL, THE SATISFACTION FROM THE GOOD REACTION AND COMMENTS FROM THE RESIDENTS MADE ALL THE HARD WORK WE PAID OFF IS WORTH IT. SEEING THAT THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVING ENVIRONMENT BY HAVING WHAT WE PROPOSE HAD DEFINITELY CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON VOLUNTEERS WORK.
CSI MODULE IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MODULE FROM OTHER PROJECT. THIS PROJECT HAD ALLOWED US TO IMPLEMENT AND APPLY KNOWLEDGE FROM ARCHITECTURE INTO REAL LIFE. EACH MEMBER OF THE TEAM PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE AND TOGETHER WE CREATE CHANGES FOR THE RESIDENTS AT SRI TIOMAN 1. THROUGH THIS MODULE, IT ENCOURAGES ME TO PARTICIPATE IN MORE VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITY IN FUTURE TO HELP IN IMPROVING OTHERS' LIFE AND LIVING CONDITION, BRING THEM HAPPINESS IN THE SIMPLEST FORM BY FULFILLING THEIR NEEDS.
FIRST PROPOSAL : GAZEBO
REFINED PROPOSAL : MURAL