First and Foremost, we do not welcome 'Tourist Volunteers'.
Volunteers must be ready to work on:
i) product development, reality tourism training
ii) resource mobilizing/ proposal building
iii) leadership/team building
iv) general activity coordination with villagers
v) customer service e-work (training in spoken English + data-entry/online-registration)
Must have:
- Relevant management/coordinating experiences
- Past experiences with community development in developing countries
- Experience or willingness to learn about eco-tourism and how to understand what eco-tourists want
- Humorous with positive attitude
- Able to live in a situation where modern conveniences are limited. Also able to make minor repairs, do simple carpentry, make useful things from recycled materials, or anything for low-impact living
Volunteers must love :
- i. Organic jungle vegetables and hunted wild animals for meals
- ii. Hiking/cycling and village life
- iii. Interacting with locals as equals
- iv. To help deprived communities in a rainforest as you believe in doing genuine good
- v. To sleep early and rise early
- vi. To learn about cultures and preservation
- vii. To take photos and videos
Volunteers' Financial Responsibility
- Flight to and from home country – to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Medical insurance, accident insurance
- Basic food costs (estimate: USD200-800/m/pax – variation depends on alcohol/ meat consumption vs Western imported foods)
- Spending money for drinks/entertainment and personal purchases
- Travel money for short trips around Borneo or region to enjoy life!!
- Own laptops for reports and private email/skype with home
- Digital camera/camcorder for recording
eHomemakers provides:
a Free accommodation is available in Kuala Lumpur with the project director, though a local hotel/home can also be booked at the volunteer's expense if that is preferred.
b Homestay accommodation in Borneo
c Flight from KL to Borneo
d Gifts from corporate supporters
e Hospitality from locals
The volunteer/s should plan to arrive in Kuala Lumpur and be briefed and prepared for maximum a month for adjustment to the country. The stay in Bario, Sarawak
(www.ebario.com for its telecenter project years ago) will include homestay in long house with a comfortable bed, running water, electricity a few hours only. Volunteers are expected to take agreed time off from Bario to travel. They must ensure the output such as training sessions are conducted, and enabling platforms are running smoothly.
Cost of flight ticket to and fro from your country to Malaysia must be self-financed. This is due to experience with 'holiday interns' who are not serious during the internship.
