Our Story

The GUI story started with unseasonal floods in peninsula Malaysia in Dec 2006. The floods were the worst in the living memory of the indigenous people of the south in the state of Johor. Some tribal villages near the forest reserve of Endau Rompin, which had never flooded before, were badly inundated. People were stranded. A group of individuals, friends and acquaintances who were following the news from nearby Singapore felt they had to, and could do, something. Under the leadership of Tay Lai Hock, a humanitarian mission was raised from the ground up to help the flood victims. It was a resounding success.

Revved from the experience after the floods subsided, the ragtag group looked for more to do. This became the genesis of the Ground-Up Initiative, a name that stuck when Lai Hock was asked who his group was — he described themselves as "a ground-up initiative", a self-driven enterprise of like-minded folks.

The Ground-Up Initiative was registered on Earth Day, 22 April 2008 in Singapore. The not-for-profit organisation was a small group of people bound by a common intention — to find and inspire ways to live larger, more joyful, holistic lives in the service of humanity.

GUI's initiative for change was born in an unexpected place — Singapore, a tiny prosperous, highly urban Asian island nation where success is largely defined by the scales of money. However, as other developed nations globally have discovered, money is no guarantee of happiness or fulfillment in people's lives.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself"
- Leo Tolstoy, 1828-1910 - Russian novelist, philosopher & educational reformer

The folks in GUI believe there are better ways to define success and happier ways to live on this planet. GUI is searching for these answers, and how they can be adopted by people in urban environments for social and ecological harmony.

We believe it all starts with people — like us and like you — who desire to change things for the better. And for this, as leaders and thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy have observed, we must be the difference we wish to see in the world.

GUI's core members have made the choice to walk this path of change. We are guided by a vision of healing relationships between people and the Earth for more sustainable and satisfying lives.

GUI's first tentative steps have been enormously uplifting. The can-do spirit of its members and volunteers are now seen as a new Kampung Spirit — the spirit of cooperation and willingness that was once so familiar in village life in this part of Asia. GUI's dreams and ambitions, tempered with 21st century ideas and technology, have seen it come far since its founding on Earth Day 2008 — independent from the ground up.

Vision

Connecting People...Connecting Earth...A Way to Heal the Land and Heal the Human Spirit.

Mission

1. To foster connection between Man and Earth through sustainable activities.
2. To grow a flourishing community that drives local and global humanitarian, social and environmental initiatives.
3. To nurture members and groom leaders.

Values

GUI believes in fostering an open and inclusive community among members. It is a secular organisation, embracing diverse peoples of all races, ages, religions, nations and social and physical levels.We hold respect in high regard — for both people and the environments they live in, and in listening to the hearts of the people and the plight of the Earth. We believe in honesty, humility, responsibility, integrity and commitment through dedication to our work, however difficult. This includes getting our hands dirty working with the land, the finest way to instill an understanding and appreciation for nature and our place on Earth.

"One of the first conditions of Happiness is that the link Between Man and Nature shall not be broken." - Leo Tolstoy