This fantastic area is home to 30 different ethnic groups, including the Kelabits, Penan, Dayaks, Dunsun, Murut and Kadayan. Comprising the northwestern corner of Borneo, Sarawak is a delightful mixture of high mountains, intricate cave systems and unexplored jungle. And the opportunities for projects and trekking within this ecosystem will make your expedition unforgettable.

The flamboyance of Malaysia / Indonesia / Borneo is breathtaking - this is a where the sun shines, the sea is crystal clear and there are endless coconut, banana and palm trees!

Volunteer with Orang-utan's

The Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre is located near Sandakan, in Malaysian Borneo and was set up as a means of housing injured or orphaned Orang-Utans. The aim is to care for them and nurse them back to health before they can be released into the forest.

Many Orang-Utans that end up here have strayed into logging camps or been rescued from captivity. Many are orphaned babies that cannot survive in the forest alone. When the rescued Orang-Utans first arrive at the centre, they are often in a sorry state and riddled with diseases. They are put into cages while they're treated for their ailments and nursed back to health. The wardens then teach them how to forage for fruit, climb trees and generally fend for themselves.

When they are mid-way through the rehabilitation process they are released into the surrounding forest reserve. The animals then spend most of their time in the forest but often return to one of the Centre's five feeding platforms for a “free” meal. When the wardens feel that that an Orang-Utan is fully rehabilitated, it is caught and returned to the wild - usually deep in the forest or to one of the National Parks or Wildlife Sanctuaries.

YOUR WORK AT SEPILOK

Your duties may vary depending on what is required at the time. During your placement it is likely that you will:
• Learn about Orang-Utan Husbandry Management by working in both the Indoor and Outdoor Nursery.
• Learn about Orang-Utan Paediatric and Veterinary Care.
• Conduct a Field Survey on the Orang-utan population in Sepilok Reserve.
• Conduct a Nocturnal Animal survey.

Teach in Borneo

Teaching placements are available in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, in rural primary or secondary schools located in rural villages in the northern part of the state. Work with two schools in particular, one located close to the capital city, Kota Kinabalu, and one which is further north, towards Kota Marudu.

English is taught in schools in Malaysia, but in rural areas the children have no opportunity to speak the language outside the classroom, so they get very little practice in pronunciation and speech. Thus having exposure to you as a native English speaker is very beneficial to them and helps them raise their grades. This is a big plus given that in the rural areas, the passing rate of English is only 60%.

You may have the opportunity to do some teaching to the whole class and might also be asked to help within other areas, such as sport, drama and music, if you have an interest in these. Both Science and Maths are taught in English, and assistance with these subjects at basic level is really appreciated. Some of the classes will be conversation based and some tuition based to groups or individuals formally and informally outside the classrooms.

If you don't want to teach in a conventional school, there are also have some placements in other centres and institutions. For example, you could arrange to work with children who have mental disabilities, such as Down Syndrome, or if you have practical skills you could teach vocational subjects, such as woodwork to young male adults who have not successfully completed conventional schooling or who have severely underachieved.

This project can also be combined with any of our other projects in Malaysia, or you could even do a this Teaching Project and then follow it with another project in Kota Kinabalu. That way you’ll get both a rural and urban experience.