How Rifai’s Homemade Water Feature Cools a Hospital Canteen

A well-kept outdoor space can help enhance people’s experience. At one of OCS Indonesia’s sites in Central Java, our gardener Nur Ikhsan Rifai turned a stuffy canteen area into a cooler, more pleasant spot. Using old materials, he built a water feature that now offers a refreshing break for everyone.

Beating the heat with a simple fix

Rifai looks after gardens at a healthcare facility. He ensures the hospital’s outdoor spaces are clean and comfortable for staff, patients, and visitors.

But he does more than the essentials. After nearly five years working on-site, he noticed the canteen had become uncomfortable because its zinc roof trapping the sun’s heat.

Seeing how visitors struggled with the heavy air, he wanted to help. He proposed a basic, homemade water feature, using old pipes and kite string to take off the edge of the heat.

Bringing the idea to life

Rifai collected discarded materials from around the hospital: a spare pump, old pipes and strings. Within a week, he had pieced together his homemade string fountain. Its straightforward design has worked reliably for months.

More than a decoration, the string fountain helps cooling the canteen. Its gentle flow also brings a calm atmosphere.

The fountain quickly caught people’s interest. Visitors often stop to see how it works or take a picture. Our customer responded well and has asked for more fountains similar to Rifai’s.

Teamwork that drives change

Rifai emphasises he did not work alone. Our customer supported his proposal straight away and even helped him to find materials and prepare the tools. His colleagues helped build it, and now they all share the job of keeping it clean.

This support allowed Rifai to turn his own initiative into a practical success for the whole site. It also earned him recognition in the OCS Indonesia TRUE Star programme, in the Empowerment category.

With a bit of creativity and a willingness to try, Rifai made a tangible difference. He has shown that good ideas often begin by noticing what people need.