Fund Asia to volunteer in Borneo

Asia Begum Start Date: Feb 4, 2015 - End Date: May 22, 2015
  • Sandakan (Malaysian Borneo)

My Travel Story

by: Asia Begum Start Date: Feb 4, 2015 - End Date: May 22, 2015
Environmental Conservation and Community Empowerment Project in Borneo


PROJECT:
I will be volunteering on an environmental conservation and community empowerment project near the Kinabatangan river in Malaysian Borneo. This project helps an eco camp that provides support through employment to a local community cooperative. This unique initiative is run for the community by the community employing people from the local village. 

The project was set up to protect the forest habitat, wildlife and biodiversity of the local area while preserving the livelihoods of the local population by running tours and boat trips in the forest that the project is working to protect. The eco project funds the conservation work as well as generating employment and educating tourists through its zero waste, zero chemicals, zero energy spreadsheet and water activities. Local school participation is also an aim of the project.

MY INTEREST: I am passionate about empowering local communities’ particularly those in developing nations -this will be a fantastic opportunity to get stuck into something worthwhile. Volunteering for this project will allow me to exercise my skills within a range of areas as well as helping a community flourish. This experience will be both valuable and rewarding as I will be involved with the reforestation work as well as helping develop the environmental conservation programme for local schools. 

With experience in education, social research and my short time at Greenpeace, I am confident that I will add value to the team in Sandakan.


MY ROLE: As a volunteer, I will be working 5-6 hours a day doing the following:

-introducing and developing environmental conservation education into local schools 
-building and construction of walkways, tree hides, eco camp
-reforestation and conservation activities such as seed collection, tree planting and weed clearing 
-lake restoration work, mainly removing water weed
-monitoring of water quality and logging data on GIS

The funds go towards my flights to Sandakan and accommodation (which will consist of host guests houses to staying at the Mescot Eco Camp), x3 meals per day, training, transfers to project location everyday to 24/7 support by team. 

Your support means a great deal :) Thank you

  • Sandakan (Malaysian Borneo)

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