Updated 14 July 06
Selamat Datang!
Welcome to Expedition 06E! These updates will keep you informed as to what everyone’s up to and what’s going on. In this first update, we’ll give you some background on Sabah, the Malaysian state in which we’re based. Then we’ll look at what the participants got up to when they arrived and give you some information about who’s going where and what they’ll be doing. Finally, we’ll look at what goes on at Fieldbase.
Introduction to Sabah …
Sabah is one of the 13 states that make up Malaysia, together with the capital district of Kuala Lumpur (KL). Along with the other Malaysian state Sarawak, Indonesia and Brunei, it makes up Borneo, the third largest island in the world. Both Sabah and Sarawak were independent colonies before joining Malaya, later Malaysia, in 1963, and even today they retain more autonomy than the other states. The capital city of Sabah is Kota Kinabalu (or KK) where Raleigh Fieldbase is situated.
Sabah, otherwise known as ‘The Land Below the Wind’, has a beautiful and dramatic landscape, and some fascinating ethnic communities, flora and fauna. The state is well known for its incredible natural features and varied terrain, which includes everything from swampy, mangrove tangled coastal areas, to gorgeous sandy beaches and coral reefs, through dazzling green paddy fields and rainforests. Nature here weaves such a colourful and diverse tapestry of sights and sounds. For example, in Borneo you can find the Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world, along with orangutans, rhinos, Asian elephants and proboscis monkeys, all living together.
Sabah also has the highest mountain in South East Asia. At 4,095m Mount Kinabalu is Malaysia’s only world heritage site, and most of the participants and staff will scale its dizzy heights in the coming months. They may also have the opportunity to visit one of the world’s last areas of pristine and unexplored primary rainforest in either Danum Valley or Imbak Canyon, and experience world-renowned coral dive sites and beautiful sandy beaches.
The people of Sabah are a multicultural mix of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians and indigenous groups such as the Rungus and Murut (formerly headhunters). Although Islam is the state religion, Sabah is one of the few places left on earth where many faiths live together in complete harmony, often ‘borrowing’ aspects of each other’s religious beliefs, as the mood takes them.
The official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Malaysia, but English is widely spoken. Part of the challenge of the expedition is to be able to converse in Malay. Learning about traditions and customs of the remote regions that we visit has been an important part of the training, as in some cases Raleigh volunteers are some of the first non-Malaysian people the communities have met. In general, Malaysians are incredibly friendly and welcoming, and keen to help anyone to learn their language.
The Participants!
Last week, the first batch of participants arrived, a group of 12 Malaysian young people, who were greeted by the staff and taken to ‘Jungle Camp’ to begin expedition training. They then prepared to welcome their international team mates with a local song and some traditional Malaysian dancing the next morning.
The following day, the rest of our participants arrived, and in total we’ll have around 112 participants and 28 staff across three phases of the programme. They hail mostly from the UK, Bermuda and Malaysia, and all are volunteers who have come to Sabah to work together, to help the environment and local communities, as well as to embark on what for many will be a life-changing experience.
Jungle training …
To ensure the smooth running of the programme, our team of staff had previously taken part in several intensive weeks of planning and jungle survival training.
They now have a solid grasp of radio communications, expedition health and safety issues, and rather importantly, cultural issues and youth development skills. The project staff have all been out to ‘recce’ their project sites get to know relevant project partners, carry out risk assessments, and meet the communities who take an active part in helping with the work.
During their first four days, the participants have also been put through a version of the staff’s rigorous training programme, to prepare everyone for expedition life. They have learned what it’s like to brave the elements (hot, wet and very muddy!), how to cook on trangia stoves, use field radios, practice first aid, how to make porridge without burning it, and learning how to build a jungle hammock or ‘basher’ to ensure the most comfortable and undisturbed night’s sleep possible!
Our launch ceremony, which was held on 9th July, was a tremendous success, and attended by project partners, sponsors, press, participants and staff. The programme was officially opened by Yang Berhomat Datuk Masidi Manjun, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sabah, and the evening concluded with some lively traditional Malay Dancing, including the Sumazu dance, which involves dancing nimbly in between bamboo poles which are being clapped together. There was, of course, extensive audience involvement in the dancing, from both participants and staff, some of whom were more successful than others in avoiding getting their ankles nipped by the bamboo poles.
With 7 coaches rolling away in the early hours of the 10th July, the first of our three phases is now underway. Teams are in regular daily contact with Fieldbase which is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fieldbase will be relaying any messages, ensuring that each team has what they need, helping with any medical issues and providing support in an emergency.
We wait with anticipation to welcome everyone back and to hear all the stories in three weeks’ time!
Project Outlines
Outlined below is a brief synopsis of each of the seven project sites operating during this phase. Each participant who stays for the full three months will complete one community, one environmental and one adventure phase.
Community-based Projects
Alpha 1:
Project Managers: Jon McElroy, Simon Rhead, Beatrise Nemesius
Project Partners: PACOS
Project Sponsors: HSBC
Participants: Joanne Henderson, Zoe Johns-Powell, Charlotte Ebbutt, Gemma Goodship, Amelia Nunn, Raymond Lim Chang Wang, Charles Loudon.
Kampong Mangkuwagu Tongod District: Kindergarten Construction
Raleigh International have worked in the Tongod district for several years now, repairing and installing gravity water feed systems and building a kindergarten, with funding from HSBC. Our latest undertaking in the area is the construction of another kindergarten, this time in Kampong (pronounced “kampung” and meaning village) Mangkuwagu. This is a remote village that suffers from a shortage of teachers and suitable buildings for schooling.
Tongod District is situated in the centre of Sabah and takes several hours of driving off-road to reach. Communities in this area are predominantly of Sungai Makiang (River People) origin, Christian, and living in traditional-style housing, of bamboo and leaf roofing. In some houses there are two families cohabiting. Some of the Kampongs are extremely poor and lack a basic water supply, pre-school facilities and other amenities. Subsistence farming is practiced with hill rice grown on a rotational basis on nearby land, with a secondary source of income from a small amount of rubber tapping.
Alpha 2:
Project Managers: Michael Eldridge, Jane Dennis, Kevin Siu
Project sponsor: HSBC
Participants: Tho Eilyn, Rebecca Johnston, Helen Brownell, Lisa Bryson, Anthony Swan, Graham Peat, Luke Midgley, Patricia Lim
Early in 2006, Raleigh International was approached for help by the headmistress of a community primary school in Kampong Panaitan, Kudat District. Kg. Panaitan is a remote subsistence farming community, located south of the small town of Kota Marudu. Its primary school has nearly 250 children and only six classrooms, so we will build an additional Resource Centre with funding provided by HSBC.
The centre will double as a library and will be managed by the school but made available to everyone. It replaces the current version, which is small and ineffective. During the project, the team will live within the village, in the community hall.
Alpha 3:
Project Managers: Lucy Lambert, Patrick Dawes
Sponsor: Coca-Cola
Participants: Nuil Wini, Roslinah Bte Jusidi, Jane Schofield, Jana Sadler-Forster, Daisy Greenlees, Alex Dill, Robert Ormerod, Oscar Branson
Kampong Mohimboyon and Kampong Linapasan: Gravity Water Feed Systems
Working in partnership with a local parliamentary representative and sponsored by Coca-Cola Malaysia, the team will carry out two projects to repair and install water systems in Kg. Mohimboyon, near Kundasang, and Kg. Linapasan near Ranau, the residents of which currently do not have enough clean drinking water to sustain them throughout the year.
Kg. Mohimboyon sits in the shadow of Mt. Kinabalu and is renowned for its terraced hills filled with fruit and vegetables, which are exported throughout Sabah and beyond. The village is a traditional Muslim community, the current water system of which requires repair. Our team will establish a fresh source, dam it and install a new reservoir tank a short distance away. We will then lay new piping into the community, install a further two tanks, and connect them to existing piping in individual houses.
Kg. Linapasan is some 50 kilometres north east of the town of Ranau. This is a very remote area and the predominantly Muslim community earn a small income through rubber tapping. Currently, the community takes its water from rainwater tanks, which is sufficient for six to nine months of the year, but during the dry season, there is little rain and the community has to resort to collecting polluted river water, which is unsuitable for extended consumption. Raleigh International will construct a new gravity water supply system for the community, which will provide clean water throughout the year, from a source approximately 3 kilometres away from the village.
During the process, the local community assist with the work and are educated on how to maintain their system as a sustainable solution to their water requirements.
Environmental Projects
Alpha 4:
Project Managers: Catherine Ahern, Paul Nelson, Richard Dwerryhouse
Project Partners: Yayasan Sabah
Participants: Terrina Nolan, Emily Chan Li Yu, Tan Bee Li, Demelza Stokes, Daniel Rowen, Jamie Heathcote, Christopher Wiles, Rennick Nelson, Jim Jowett
Danum Valley
Danum Vallley is a highly protected world-renowned conservation and research area famous for its rich biodiversity and abundant wildlife. The 438 sq.km Danum Valley Conservation Area provides facilities for research, education and wilderness recreation in one of Sabah’s last strongholds of undisturbed lowland rainforest.
Sited besides the Segama River, the Research Centre is located 81km west of Lahad Datu and more than 20km from any other habitation – a truly remote setting. Research efforts have revealed a tremendous variety of plants and the full range of Sabah’s lowland fauna, including such rare and endangered species as the Sumatran rhino, banteng (tembadau), elephant, clouded leopard, orang-utan and proboscis monkey. Bird life is equally varied with some 275 species recorded to date in the area.
The project group will help complete the construction of a hanging suspension bridge successfully started by a Raleigh team in late 2005. The purpose of the bridge is to increase access into the conservation area for scientists, in order that they can carry out further research. The site is approximately one hour’s trek from the Danum Valley Field Centre and the group will live in a minimal impact jungle camp close to the work site.
The other main project in this area is the building of a satellite camp site near the bridge, which will provide a base for scientists conducting research, so that they can explore the area more deeply and for longer periods. The project will also involve further developing the trail network on both sides of the bridge. Additionally, the project team will assist the scientists with various conservation projects and receive a rainforest education in this amazing jungle setting.
Alpha 5
Project Managers: Lucy Kentish, John Penfold
Project Partners: Yayasan Sabah
Participants: Taneah Bean, Elizabeth Moorcroft, Cat Fell, Amy McCreath, Milton Foo Jung Fu, Knoong Len Foong, Rupert Miller, Barrington Robinson, Tom Evans
Imbak Canyon
Imbak Canyon is the last remaining untouched and relatively unexplored area of Sabah. Less than 200 people have ever entered this virgin primary jungle area, and the last research team discovered a new tree species. The region is home to wildlife including elephants, orangutans and hundreds of rare bird species, and Yayasan Sabah now wants to reserve it as a natural gene bank, in order to protect the biodiversity of the whole region. The company has asked Raleigh International to play a major role in the development and management of this area.
In early 2004, a Raleigh International project team worked closely with Yayasan Sabah to plan the location and type of necessary infrastructure needed for protecting, and allowing access to the pristine Imbak Canyon area. The first stage included mapping it to determine points of interest, possible trail networks, sources of water and the best locations for a field centre. The second expedition in late 2004 started putting in place a basic infrastructure, including the Ranger’s camp, visitors’ accommodation and rudimentary trails.
The next phase of this exciting project is to further expand the infrastructure, by finishing the field centre complex, developing the newly sourced trails into the canyon and upgrading existing tracks to a waterfall and jungle camp. Participants will occupy a camp constructed by a BBC film crew, located an hour’s walk into the Canyon. From here, they will upgrade the existing trail back to the main ranger’s accommodation as well as source, plan and implement the first nature trail in the area.
Adventure Projects
Alpha 6:
Project Managers: James Sheader, Jane Topham, Phillip Warren
Project Partners: Sabah Parks, Borneo Divers
Participants: Alana Burchall, Naveen Singh, Emma Hocken, Catherine Kilburn, Sarah Trevillion, Laura McEnaney, Nuien Binti Wani, Gavin Cambell, Lina Encharang, Anton Russell, Jamie Smith, Ruaridh Wainwright-Harrower, Tom Mann
Alpha 7:
Project Managers: Andrew Carroll, Emma Buckley
Project Partners: Sabah Parks, Borneo Divers
Participants: Atiya Symonds, Sam Avison, Victoria Prince, Hannah Robson, Sarah Baker, Jodie Campbell, Nicole Hobday, Liahann Mitchell, Kevin Ong Ching Seong, Tim Aisbitt, Robert Curran, Dave Batchelor, Yasin Hussain, Tom Akass, Antoine Williams
Crocker Range & Tungku Abdul Rahman Marine Park
The adventure project teams will trek across the Crocker Range from Tikalod to Inabong, passing through several remote villages. During the trek, the project groups will be upgrading the trail through dense rainforest, as part of the ongoing effort by Sabah Parks to preserve the region as an ecotourism destination. Sabah Parks staff will join the project teams to ensure the group’s safety and to increase their opportunity to learn about the pristine rainforest environment. Additionally, the project groups will stop in the remote communities to assist on local projects and experience village life.
Prior to the trek, teams will spend four days at Mahua Waterfall in the northern part of the Crocker Range National Park. Here, they will help rangers blaze a new trail past several stunning waterfalls and up along a ridge to the highest peak within the park. The jungle here is very dense and it makes the work hard and slow. Teams will live next to the new trail, establishing a low impact jungle camp from which to base their operations.
All adventure groups will also be involved in a SCUBA diving conservation program in Tungku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, in partnership with Borneo Divers and Sabah Parks. The team will spend four days gaining their PADI Open Water diving qualification, which will be followed by two days of an underwater clean up operation.
The adventure phase will finish with a Mt. Kinabalu climb, to watch the sunrise from the top of the highest peak in Southeast Asia. This exhilarating journey passes through five different temperate zones from a dense rainforest to a barren alpine landscape, and at 4096 metres high, this peak is certainly no walk in the park. It takes approximately 24 hours to climb to the summit and back down, with a few hours of sleep in the middle. However exhausting it may feel at the time, the views of the sun rising on a clear day are amazing and well worth the sweat and tears it takes to get there.
The Field Base Team
Making sure that everything runs smoothly, the Field Base team is on hand to sort out everything from medical problems to our visa changes. Field Base is the nerve centre of the programme, led by Rory Hall, our Country Director, and the Deputy Expedition Leader, Laura Parry. This is Rory’s fourth expedition in Malaysia and he’s been liaising closely with project partners and stakeholders, Ministers, NGOs, and sponsors, to ensure the next three months are a success.
The logistics team, James Sheader and Chris Willett (who will also spend some time out on project sites) have been meticulous in their planning, making sure that the project alpha teams are fully equipped with the tools they need to complete their projects. They are responsible for the provision of food, shelter and water, and will drive the project land-rovers.
Our medics Ross Dyer-Smith, Jane Topham and Andrew Carroll (who will all spend some time on project sites, as well as at Field Base) have been busy checking out the local hospitals, teaching us the rudimentaries of first aid, counting out the components of the medical kits with precision and so on, in order to ensure all of the projects have everything they could possibly need in the event of an emergency.
The administrators, Catherine Ahern and Pippa Stedman, have been patiently dealing with all the paperwork, sorting out valuables, diving forms, visas, and revised flight tickets. Cameron Hodgson, our accountant, keeps a firm grip on the pennies, and finally, communications officer Kate Brothers is responsible for getting Raleigh into the headlines, securing sponsorship and writing internal magazines and updates, while photographer Darren Craig photographs everybody’s every move.
That’s it for our first update, but we’ll keep you posted after each three-week phase. Thanks to everyone for your support for our programme and we wish you all the best from sunny Malaysia.
Kate Brothers
Communications Officer, RI Malaysia
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