Lai Hock is the Founder and ‘Kampung Chief’ of the Ground-Up Initiative (G.U.I.). He has been rallying the power of community through its weekly Balik Kampung programme to grow GUI since 2008, starting from a tiny plot of land through the grace of a local farmer at Lim Chu Kang. Quickly outgrowing that, GUI moved to Yishun in April 2009 where it has collectively raised and grown its base, the Sustainable Living Kampung, from a mere 100sqm of space to over 1500sqm. This has enabled GUI to nurture a 21st Century Kampung Culture that connects many people to GUI’s vision of a 5G society – Gracious, Green, Giving, Grounded and Grateful. GUI will soon begin constructing the Kampung campus, a low carbon footprint campus, to serve a wider audience in Singapore as well as the region. Many values and philosophies guide this vision. The African proverb: “Go fast, go alone. Go far, go together”, motivated Lai Hock to bring many kindred spirits to realise this vision together. Before GUI, Lai Hock was 6 years a professional soldier and 11 years a highly successful regional corporate business and marketing man before leaving to backpack around the world for more than 4 years in the quest to discover something truly meaningful to do with his life.
