Our project leader in Rory is here to tell you why a Leap placement in Borneo is your ticket to responsible travel in Asia:

Rory: The Leap's favourite Uncle in Borneo!

Rory: The Leap's favourite Uncle in Borneo!

How did this project evolve? What preliminary research have you carried out in the area you have set the project up in?
All our projects are run in partnership with a local grass roots community charity called Pacos Trust.  This means all our work is part of longer term aims for these communities, which have been agreed on by local people in consultation with Pacos.  This means we are not just entering a village cold – we are advised which ones are in need and also at a suitable stage in their development to accept volunteers.  This relationship with Pacos extends to a Memorandum of Understanding and also direct donations for each individual who stays in these communities.

What are the long term goals of the project you are carrying out – what do you hope to achieve?
Ultimately in all our communities we want to help establish alternative sources of income for the community as a whole, through both tourism and employment opportunities.  This we do through employing members of the community to work within our camps, looking to provide training and career progression for them as well as income from ground rent for their land/buildings.  These are the monetary benefits.  The more intangible benefits include confidence building, empowerment of the community as a whole, cultural exchange and a sense of pride and willingness to preserve traditional ways of life.  Our ultimate aim is for the community to be able to use its traditions as a way of developing and becoming self sufficient in terms of income and opportunities.
Also part of the process is provision of additional facilities such as improved or new educational infrastructure for younger children, better health care and awareness of other global issues such as unsustainable life styles and habits.

If you are collecting data – where will it be used? What do you do with the information?
Currently we are not collecting specific data since some of our projects are very new.  However we are looking into collecting data in the future on the amount & type of rubbish collected at Mantanani Island lagoon for example – this we will use for education of the community and hopefully as a global demonstration of ongoing issues.  One of our main projects at the moment is the building of a prototype bio gas collector – this we hope to test to see the feasibility of its use in and around Sabah in other rural communities.  Hence for this we will be measuring the input of human and other waste, as well as water volume, to ascertain if it is a viable project for other locations.

How do you ensure that volunteers are welcome in the place that they are visiting?
We employ professional full time staff whose role it is to ensure volunteers’ comfort as well as giving thorough briefings and activity planning throughout their stay.  These staff members are members of the community as a whole and therefore are able to ensure the full integration of the volunteers.  In particular one of the key ways of starting this integration process is through sport which breaks down barriers of language and culture very quickly.

Can you demonstrate how the local community benefits from the project?
As described previously we employ up to 10 members of staff from each community we work in.  Our camps are also established along long term lines with tenancy agreements drawn up with the community for a minimum of 5 years and up to 10 years.  As part of the ground rent for buildings or land we pay the land owner but also insist that a portion of this money is put into the community fund which is common in all Sabah communities.  We also encourage the community to set up mini businesses which includes sale of local arts & crafts, personal laundry and small shops of drinks and other general goods.
In addition our projects provide the community with much needed facilities.  Our funds are drawn from both volunteers and other sources such as charitable donations.

How do you educate visiting volunteers about the local community and environment?
On arrival all volunteers undergo a 2 day induction which includes background knowledge on the country and community as a whole. This also includes language training.  Volunteers are encouraged to mix with our camp staff to get a full understanding of how to behave appropriately and also to maximize their experience by trying new things and spending time with other people.

Please talk about the accommodation you provide the volunteers – is it locally owned and environmentally friendly? Do you use local produce and encourage visitors to use local services?
As mentioned before all our camps are placed in local communities and therefore are locally owned and run.  As far as possible we try and keep the accommodation in keeping with local building techniques.  For example our main community camp in Tinangol is actually in a traditionally built longhouse.  The main camp on Mantanani is made of drift wood sourced from the beaches.  All camps have water recycling for “grey” water and traditional styles of toilets to minimize water usage.  Where possible all food is bought at local markets or from the community itself without compromising their own availability of food.  Within the bounds of safety we use local transport and avoid using larger companies or organizations.