Batam Build
every mother
needs to know her children have a safe place to call home
Volunteer overseas with Habitat Singapore
About Batam Build: Community Rejuvenation in Batam
Don't have enough time to commit to a Global Village trip or looking for a nearer destination? Build with us on Batam Island instead!
Batam Build is designed as a short-term alternative for those who are unable to take a long break. Builds can be as short as 1 day, where participants can leave in the morning, build for half a day and return to Singapore in the evening. The maximum trip length for Batam Build is 2 days.
Thousands of residents in Batam live in substandard houses built using scrap wood and tin sheets. These small shacks are susceptible to water leaks, floods and sometimes structural collapse during the monsoon season.
Habitat aims to improve the standard of living for 3,000 families through the reconstruction of new homes, improving the current water, drainage and electricity system.
Hover on the photo to see the old house
Hover on the photo to see the old family house
Homeowner Story: Siti Sara
Meet Siti Sarah, our homeowner in Batam. When Habitat Singapore visited her in 2017, she had moved into her new Habitat house and started her own home business.
She proudly shows off her hand-weaved floor mats that she sells to supplement her husband's income as a security officer.
With a safe roof over their heads, families like Siti Sara's can better focus on saving money, invest in their children's education and make forward-looking choices to build a better life for themselves.
Join us as a Batam Build Volunteer!
What To Expect:
Build Trip Information
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Batam Build trips are 1-2 days long.
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Team size is a minimum of 8 to maximum 10 volunteers.
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Minimum age for volunteers is 21 years old on the date of the build trip.
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Volunteers must be reasonably fit with no serious injuries or medical conditions.
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Every team will have a Habitat host coordinator in Batam as their on-site liaison.
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No prior building experience is required. Volunteers will be trained & supervised by locally employed construction supervisors and Habitat staff.
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Volunteers will also be working alongside the family who is receiving the Habitat house.
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Construction tasks volunteers will do include:
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Hand-mixing cement, carrying & laying bricks for walls or tying reinforcement bars.
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What It Involves
Volunteer Preparation
Travel Arrangements
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Volunteers are responsible for arranging their visa documents (for non-Singaporeans).
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Ferry tickets & accomodation can be arranged by Habitat or by the team.
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What Habitat will arrange: local transport, build site meals, accident/illness insurance and volunteer welfare logistics like tentage & water.
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There will be a team cost for each build.
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Detailed costing will be provided by the Habitat team based on the build specifications.
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While most teams cover the cost of the trip on their own, volunteers are also welcome to set up fundraising campaigns on our Give Asia portal.
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Volunteer Sign Up
Corporates,
Groups & Individuals
For Groups
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Batam Build trips need to be booked at least 3-4 months in advance.
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Groups may email us at info@habitat.org.sg to request for available build dates. In your email, please include details like your name, your organisation, group size and preferred date range.
For Individuals - Lead your own team
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As team leader, you'll get to decide the date of your build trip.
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You may recruit your own team members or request Habitat Singapore to help publicise recruitment for your team.
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Find out more about how you can be a Team Leader by emailing info@habitat.org.sg